Thermal Response to Firefighting Activities in Residential Structure Fires: Impact of Job Assignment and Suppression Tactic

Details

• Personal Author:
  Fehling PC ; Fent, Kenneth W. ; Fernhall B ; Horn, Gavin P. ; Kerber, Stephen ; Kesler RM ; Schroeder TJ ; Scott WS ; Smith, Denise L.
• Description:
  Firefighters' thermal burden is generally attributed to high heat loads from the fire and metabolic heat generation, which may vary between job assignments and suppression tactic employed. Utilizing a fullsized residential structure, firefighters were deployed in six job assignments utilizing two attack tactics (1. Water applied from the interior, or 2. Exterior water application before transitioning to the interior). Environmental temperatures decreased after water application, but more rapidly with transitional attack. Local ambient temperatures for inside operation firefighters were higher than other positions (average approximately 10-30 degrees C). Rapid elevations in skin temperature were found for all job assignments other than outside command. Neck skin temperatures for inside attack firefighters were approximately 0.5 degrees C lower when the transitional tactic was employed. Significantly higher core temperatures were measured for the outside ventilation and overhaul positions than the inside positions (approximately 0.6-0.9 degrees C). Firefighters working at all fireground positions must be monitored and relieved based on intensity and duration. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Energy Metabolism Environmental Exposure Firefighters Fires Heat Stress Disorders Hot Temperature Occupational Health Safety Temperature Ventilation
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Firefighting Body Temperature Core Temperature Environmental Exposure Fire Fighters Fire Fighting Heat Heat Exposure Heat Strain Heat Stress Metabolic Effects Metabolic Rate Temperature Effects Thermal Reactions

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• ISSN:
  0014-0139
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Illinois ; Maryland ; New York ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 2 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  404-419
• Volume:
  61
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20050112
• Citation:
  Ergonomics 2018 Mar; 61(3):404-419
• Contact Point Address:
  Gavin P. Horn, Illinois Fire Service Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, MC-675, 11 Gerty Drive, Champaign, IL 61820
• Email:
  ghorn@illinois.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Ergonomics
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f1a3cf1853e3230a6dc50a1ca229644727e7a0fdc9036f0f4c7c0d24a1b12c58d8c8186f0a116d04b6985f2b3ca5fc0ab04fd3f5ee401a7afc28715a4bb1f2a7
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/210602/cdc_210602_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 3.54 MB ]