Chapter 6 Firefighter Personal Protective Equipment ee estcular. and prostate cancer, non-Hodgkin slmohoma, and maignant melanoma They re thee times as key cancer (Figure 6.1, p.260). to develop skin, brain, and bladder cancer. as well as leukemia They are also four times as likely to develop kidney In 2005, Mark Noble died at the age of 47. The brain cancer that killed him was most likely caused by the toxins he was exposed to in the fire service. Mark loved being a firefighter, but he said that if he had it to do over again, he would wear his SCBA more, and he would be more conscientious about attaching exhaust collection hoses to the apparatus. Permission to use this information was granted by Mrs. Rebeoca Noble and ERGOMETRICS & Applied Personnel Research, inc., who produced a video interview with Mark during his final months. The video is available at the following Website: wwww.ergometrics.org. Asa firefighter and emergency responder, you will work in a wide variety of haz- ardous environments. To protect your life and health, you must wear proper safety equipment at all times. This chapter provides an overview of two critical types of safety equipment: personal protective equipment (PPE) and respiratory protection. ‘You will learn about the different types of this equipment, as well as their functions, proper usage, and maintenance. @ Personal Protective Equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) 1s the personal protective clothing (PPC), re- spiratory protection equipment, and personal alert safety system (PASS) you will wear during emergency responses. Itis designed to protect you from hazards and minimize Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) — General term forthe equpment worn by fre and emergency services responders: includes helmets, cots trousers, boots. eye protection, hearing protection. protective gloves protective hoods, sot-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), and personal alert safety system (FASS) devices. Also frown as Bunker Clothes. Full Structural Protective Clathing, Protective Clothing. Turnout Clothing, oF Turnout Gear Chapter 6 + Firefighter Personal Protective Equipment 259Probability of Cancer Among Firefighters Times as likely 0 develop * Intestinal + Liver + Prostate + Hon-Hodakin’s Lymntoma + Testicular * Malignant Nelznoma = sein + Blader + Leukemia Types of Cancer + Brain + Kisney Legend General Adult ' Population Firetighters, Figure 6.1 Firefighters are exposed to @ greater range and concentration of hazards than the general public, and they have a higher lielinood of several types of cancers because of that exposure. 260 Chapter 6 + Firefighter Personal Protective EquipmentFigure 6.2 Protective equipment and clothing are tailored to the hazards that a frst responder will face. the risk of injury or fatality (Figure 6.2). Your PPC includes helmets, coats, trousers, boots, eye protection, hearing protection, protective gloves, and protective hoods. Its use is mandated by NEPA® 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety ‘and Health Program, and all equipment must be designed and constructed based on NEPA® standards. Design and construction requirements for SCBA and PASS de- vices are covered in NFPA® 1981, Standard on Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for Emergency Services, and NEPA® 1982, Standard on Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS), respectively. Different emergency operations require different kinds of PPE. For example, some emergency types require full sets of PPE, including respiratory protection, while oth- cers require only protective clothing. Types of personal protective clothing include: © Structural firefighting protective clothing ‘© Wildland fire fighting protective clothing ‘© Roadway operations protective clothing. ‘© Emergency medical protective clothing ‘© Special protective clothing ‘ Station and work uniforms Structural Fire Fighting Protective Clothing All personal protective clothing designed for structural and proximity fire fighting must meet the requirements of NFPA® 1971, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting. This standard addresses the re- quirements for helmets, coats, trousers, boots, eye protection, protective gloves, and protective hoods. ‘Structural Fire Fighting — Activities required for rescue, fire suppression, and property ‘conservation in structures, vehicies, vessels, and similar types of properties. Proximity Fire Fighting — Activities required for rescue. fire suppression, and property conservation at fires that produce high radiant, conductive, or ‘orvective heat; includes arratt, hazardous materials transport, and storage tank tires. Chapter 6 + Firetighter Personal Protective Equipment 261