Pilot study on the efficiency of water-only decontamination for firefighters’ turnout gear

Analysis of the Effectiveness of Decontamination Fluids on the Level of Biological Contamination of Firefighter Suits

“…According to some papers, this should be conducted more often than once or twice per year [20], or before being reused [23]. Interestingly, a study conducted by Stull et al determined that the laundering procedure affects the ability of the gear to resist water penetration for a non-breathable moisture barrier material [21]. In our work, we proved that high risk occupations are associated with the appearance of bacteria on the surface of combat suits, which can be further cleaned with selected detergents.…”

“…To this end, appropriate substances should be selected that are adjusted to the threat. In the case of biological hazards, only cleaning and disinfecting agents can be used for decontamination purposes [21]. Types of preparations are classified by the State Sanitary Inspection of the Ministry of the Interior depending on the microorganism found.…”

Health Risks of Structural Firefighters from Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…In addition, we excluded studies on the World Trade Center fire because the PAH exposure assessment was performed at least two weeks after the incident [26]. We also excluded studies examining the efficiency of laundering for the removal of residual exposure levels or of PPE decontamination which use interventional study designs, even if they focus on fire activities [27,28].…”

“…This exception may only apply to the U.S. One difference is that other countries require more or less live fire training, but we did not investigate all differences from country to country and there may be other differences we are not aware of. As exposure to smoke at a fire scene is heavy in both live fire training and emergency fires, firefighters should conduct gross contamination at a fire scene [27,59]. We also recommend temporarily storing contaminated gear in an airtight container for transportation between the fire scene and the fire department, and then immediately washing and hanging it in a well-ventilated locker or storage area so it can dry.…”

Evaluation of Interventions to Reduce Firefighter Exposures

“…Only limited information is available on the effectiveness of fire department interventions on reducing the concentration of toxicant biomarkers in the body of firefighters, and uncertainty over the efficacy of these practices limits their implementation. 17 – 19 In addition, even well-intended interventions may have adverse effects. For example, use of air purifying respirators during overhaul led to poorer respiratory outcomes than use of no respiratory protection at all, resulting in the recommendation to use SCBA during overhaul.…”