Notice to Readers
NIOSH Alert: Request for Assistance in Preventing Injuries and
Deaths of Fire Fighters
CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) periodically issues alerts on workplace hazards that have
caused death, serious injury, or illness to workers. One such
alert, Request for Assistance in Preventing Injuries and Deaths of
Fire Fighters (1) was recently published and is available to the
public. *
This alert warns fire departments to review their safety
programs and emergency operating procedures because failures to
establish and follow these programs and procedures are resulting in
injuries and deaths of fire fighters. Based on reports to the
National Fire Protection Association, 280 fire fighters died and
approximately 100,000 were injured in the line of duty during 1990-
1992, and based on reports to the NIOSH National Traumatic
Occupational Fatalities Surveillance System, 278 fire fighters died
from traumatic injuries during 1980-1989. The International
Association of Fire Fighters reported that 1369 professional fire
fighters died in the line of duty during 1970-1994.
NIOSH has identified four factors essential to protecting fire
fighters from injury and death: 1) following established
firefighting policies and procedures, 2) implementing an adequate
respirator-maintenance program, 3) establishing firefighter
accountability at the fire scene, and 4) using personal-alert
safety-system devices at the fire scene. Deficiencies in any of
these procedures can create a life-threatening situation for fire
fighters. The publication describes a case report in which two fire
fighters died during a fire in a high-rise apartment building
because these procedures were not followed. Recommendations are
provided for fire departments and fire fighters to prevent injury
and death.
Reference
NIOSH. Request for assistance in preventing injuries and deaths
of fire fighters. Cincinnati: US Department of Health and Human
Services, Public Health Service, CDC, 1994; DHHS publication no.
(NIOSH)94-125.
Single copies of this document are available without charge from
the Publications Office, Division of Standards Development and
Technology Transfer, NIOSH, CDC, Mailstop C-13, 4676 Columbia
Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998; telephone (800) 356-4674 ({513}
533-8328 for persons outside the United States); fax (513)
533-8573.
Disclaimer
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**Questions or messages regarding errors in formatting should be addressed to mmwrq@cdc.gov.
