Live-Fire Exercise in Mobile Flashover Training Simulator Injures Five Career Fire Fighters – Maine

Details

• Personal Author:
  Merinar, Timothy R.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP)
• Description:
  Death in the Line of Duty…a Summary of a NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation
  
  On October 17, 2003, four male career fire fighters were slightly injured while participating in a live fire training evolution inside a propane-fueled mobile flashover training simulator. Multiple burn evolutions had been conducted over a two and one-half day period without incident prior to the explosion. Minutes after the four-man crew advanced a hoseline into the mobile training trailer, an explosion occurred. The crew members were knocked down by the force of the explosion and became momentarily disoriented, but were able to exit the trailer under their own power. A fifth male fire fighter stationed on the outside of the trailer was also slightly injured when he was hit by an exit door that he was monitoring which was forced open by the blast. NIOSH investigators concluded that, to minimize the risk of similar occurrences, fire departments should: 1. follow manufacturer's recommendations for set-up and operation of training simulators
  
  2. consider using a carbon monoxide monitor to ensure carbon monoxide does not build up to a dangerous level inside the training simulator
  
  3. ensure that Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs) specific to live-fire training are developed and followed
  
  and, 4. consider having an ambulance on-site during live-fire training exercises. Additionally, training simulator manufacturers should: 1. provide ventilation systems within training simulators that ensure a complete air change is accomplished between burn evolutions
  
  and, 2. consider using programmable logic controllers (PLC) and computerized electronic data monitoring systems to avoid the possibility of improper operation. Additionally, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) should consider developing a new standard covering mobile live-fire training simulators.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Accident Prevention Accidents Accidents, Occupational Emergency Responders Explosions Firefighters Fires Occupational Health Safety Staff Development
• Keywords:
  Accident-prevention Emergency-responders Explosion-prevention Explosive-atmospheres Explosive-gases Fire-fighters Fire-safety Injuries Injury-prevention OSHA Region 1 Training

  More +
• FACE - Firefighter:
  Cause of Death: Trauma ; Training: Live Fire
• Series:
  Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP)
• Subseries:
  Death in the Line of Duty Report
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHFFFACEF200341
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study ; Report
• Place as Subject:
  Maine ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSR - Division of Safety Research
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-13
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20025723
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2005-101480
• Citation:
  Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, FACE F2003-41, 2004 Dec ; :1-13
• CAS Registry Number:
  Carbon monoxide (CAS RN 630-08-0)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2005
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  92 - Public Administration - (NAICS)
• Start Date:
  2003/10/17
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2423148e16556acc61823456021a0461bbf203261a50143f9813665b3df4d4ee9dfdcf16e1e27dc7b45c9af0e328d9e9176f2f8b16e001eebf802fe089b75b1b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/163747/cdc_163747_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 417.16 KB ]