Evaluation of Interventions to Reduce Firefighter Exposures.
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ABSTRACT: Objective
Evaluate the effectiveness of firefighter exposure reduction interventions.Methods
Fireground interventions included use of self-contained breathing apparatus by engineers, entry team wash down, contaminated equipment isolation, and personnel showering and washing of gear upon return to station. Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites (PAH-OHs) were measured after structural fire responses before and after intervention implementation. Separately, infrared sauna use following live-fire training was compared to standard postfire care in a randomized trial.Results
The fireground interventions significantly reduced mean total urinary postfire PAH-OHs in engineers (-40.4%, 95%CI -63.9%, -2.3%) and firefighters (-36.2%, 95%CI -56.7%, -6.0%) but not captains (-11.3% 95%CI -39.4%, 29.9%). Sauna treatment non-significantly reduced total mean PAH-OHs by -43.5% (95%CI -68.8%, 2.2%).Conclusions
The selected fireground interventions reduced urinary PAH-OHs in engineers and firefighters. Further evaluation of infrared sauna treatment is needed.
SUBMITTER: Burgess JL
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8647371 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Evaluation of Interventions to Reduce Firefighter Exposures.
Burgess Jefferey L JL Hoppe-Jones Christiane C Griffin Stephanie C SC Zhou Jin J JJ Gulotta John J JJ Wallentine Darin D DD Moore Paul K PK Valliere Eric A EA Weller Sasha R SR Beitel Shawn C SC Flahr Leanne M LM Littau Sally R SR Dearmon-Moore Devi D Zhai Jing J Jung Alesia M AM Garavito Fernanda F Snyder Shane A SA
Journal of occupational and environmental medicine 20200401 4
<h4>Objective</h4>Evaluate the effectiveness of firefighter exposure reduction interventions.<h4>Methods</h4>Fireground interventions included use of self-contained breathing apparatus by engineers, entry team wash down, contaminated equipment isolation, and personnel showering and washing of gear upon return to station. Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites (PAH-OHs) were measured after structural fire responses before and after intervention implementation. Separately, infrared sa ...[more]
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