Firefighter
Safety and Health
Module 1
Chapter 2
Copyright: IFSTA, Essentials of Fire Fighting and Fire Department Operations, 6th Edition
1
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Identify
Occupational
List the main types Safety and Health
of job-related Administration
firefighter (OSHA) regulations
fatalities, injuries, that relate to
and illnesses. firefighters.
Describe the Summarize the
National Fire model that
Protection supports the
Association® concept of risk
standards related management.
to firefighter
safety and health.
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Describe ways
to help
Describe fire prevent
department accidents and
safety and Summarize injuries in fire
health safe vehicle stations and
programs. operations. facilities.
Summarize Summarize
firefighter guidelines for
health riding safely
awareness on the
issues. apparatus.
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FIREFIGHTER FATALITIES IN 2010
72 on-duty firefighter
fatalities in the US
• 44 volunteer firefighters
• 25 career firefighters
(Lowest annual figure
• 2 state land management since 1977)
agencies
• 1 prison inmate wildland
fire fighting crew
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4
FIREFIGHTER FATALITIES ARE CAUSED BY A
VARIETY OF SITUATIONS.
Leading causes Remaining causes
• Stress or overexertion • Falls
• Motor vehicle accidents • Being struck by an object
• Being trapped in
structure fire
• Gunshot wounds while
tending medical patient
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FIREFIGHTER INJURIES OCCUR BOTH ON THE
FIREGROUND AND AT NONFIRE
EMERGENCIES.
Main • Strains and sprains
types • Cuts and bruises
• During training
Other • Nonemergency incidents
• Responding to or returning from incidents
• Other on-duty activities
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•2–6 6
FIREFIGHTER INJURIES CAUSE COSTS TO BOTH
INDIVIDUALS AND DEPARTMENTS.
Career Volunteer
Individual
department department
Possible
Lost duty
Physical pain worker’s
time
comp
No wages for
Emotional Worker’s
FF from full-
stress comp
time job
No wages for
FF
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THE SHARED COSTS OF INJURIES CAN BE PREVENTED BY
BOTH THE INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATION.
Company Follow
Effective training discipline and established
accountability safety SOPs
Physical Follow risk Use rehab at
Use PPE properly
fitness management incidents
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YOU MUST BE AWARE OF AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM CERTAIN CHRONIC ILLNESSES.
Respiratory
Obesity
diseases
Cancer
Cardiovascular
diseases
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YOU MUST BE AWARE OF AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM CERTAIN CHRONIC ILLNESSES.
Stress- Exposure-
induced related
hypertension disease
Drug and
alcohol use
Tobacco use/
Diabetes dependence
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10
FIRE SERVICE SAFETY IS GOVERNED BY SEVERAL
STANDARDS, REGULATIONS, AND INITIATIVES.
NFPA® OSHA CanOSH
Everyone Annual Safety
Goes Home® Stand-down
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11
NFPA® STANDARDS ESTABLISH AND REGULATE
MANY ASPECTS OF SAFETY.
Establish design
Define safe training
criteria for
practices and
protective clothing
programs
and equipment
Set requirements
for care and
Establish safety
maintenance of
programs
personal and
departments must
respiratory
adopt
protection
equipment
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12
NFPA® 1500 IS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE
STANDARD RELATING TO SAFETY AND HEALTH.
Safety and health- Training and
Diver/Operator
related policies education
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13
NFPA® 1500 IS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE
STANDARD RELATING TO SAFETY AND HEALTH.
Protective
clothing and Emergency Facility
protective operations safety
equipment
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14
NFPA® 1500 IS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE
STANDARD RELATING TO SAFETY AND HEALTH.
Member Critical
Medical and
assistance incident
physical
and wellness stress
requirements
programs management
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15
OSHA REGULATIONS APPLY TO SPECIFIC
CATEGORIES OF EMPLOYEES.
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16
OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WORK TO REDUCE FIRE
FATALITIES AND FOCUS ON SAFETY.
International
Association of Fire
Chiefs
National Fallen Annual Safety
Firefighters Foundation Stand-down
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17
RISK MANAGEMENT ESTABLISHES CRITERIA TO
ASSESS BENEFIT AND RISK AT INCIDENTS.
Will risk a lot to
save savable lives
Will NOT risk to Will risk a little to
save lives, property save savable
already lost property
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DEPARTMENT SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAMS
TARGET SPECIFIC GOALS.
• Human suffering, fatalities, injuries, illness, exposure
Prevent • Damage to or loss of equipment
• Occurrences and severity
Reduce
• Promote and practice safety program
All levels
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SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAMS ARE BASED ON
SEVERAL SPECIFIC COMPONENTS.
Safety and
Department
health
policies
committee
Accident Training for
prevention personnel
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HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS FOR FIREFIGHTERS
BEGIN WITH ADOPTING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE.
Good nutrition
• Physical fitness
• Keys for personal
health
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EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE AND WELLNESS
PROGRAMS OFFER HELP IN VARIOUS WAYS.
Employee
Assistance Program
• Problems that affect job Wellness program
performance
• Health-related problems
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SUMMARY
Safety is essential to your mission of protecting the public.
Protect yourself by relying on situational awareness, wearing required PPE,
following orders, and following departmental safety policies and procedures.
Take responsibility for your own safety – you cannot protect the community
unless you first protect yourself.
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