Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. 2023-0098-3429: Evaluation of Diesel Exhaust Control Methods at a Fire Station in a City Fire Department

Details

• Journal Article:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Personal Author:
  Echt, Hannah ; Qi, Chaolong ; Hammond, Duane R. ; Niemeier-Walsh, Micah
• Description:
  The NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation Program received a request from management at a city fire department who were concerned about firefighters' exposure to diesel exhaust when fire apparatuses were running in the apparatus bay. During our visits, we (1) observed work processes and practices; (2) collected area air samples of diesel particulate; (3) measured real-time concentrations of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and particulates; and (4) conducted a ventilation assessment at the station. We found levels of diesel exhaust particulate (as elemental carbon) and other components of vehicle exhaust were low in the apparatus bay and living quarters. Our results also showed that air concentrations of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and particulates were well below occupational exposure limits. Although these air concentrations were low, some exhaust fans needed repair and fully functional exhaust fans would continue to reduce firefighter's exposures to as low as possible. While overall particulate levels were low, a peak ultrafine particle concentration was observed when both an ambulance and an engine were started and then departed the apparatus bay. Ultrafine particle concentrations in the apparatus bay consistently spiked above the upper limit of our direct reading instrument during engine start events and took approximately two hours to return to background levels. During the ventilation assessment, particle counts were measured both before and after filters and observed an 87% reduction in particle concentrations (size range of 0.01 to >1 ?m). Air pressure and smoke tracer tests verified that the apparatus bay was under negative pressure relative to the living quarters which is the preferred ventilation setup. Further evaluation is recommended to assess whether extending air cleaner runtimes or implementing combined control technologies, such as source control, could more effectively reduce particulate concentrations from vehicle exhaust in the apparatus bay.
• Subjects:
  Firefighters Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety Vehicle Exhaust Ventilation
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Fire Protection; Diesel Exhaust; Elemental Carbon; Ventilation; Fire Station; Firefighters Region 7; Fire Fighters; Diesel Exhaust; Motor Vehicles; Particulates; Exhaust Ventilation; Elemental Carbon; Control Methods; Ultrafine Particles;
• Source:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HHE 2023-0098-3429, 2026 Mar; :1-27
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• DOI:
  10.26616/NIOSHHHE202300983429
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Iowa ; Ohio ; Kansas City Region [OSHA] ; Chicago Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  28 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071263
• CAS Registry Number:
  Carbon (CAS RN 7440-44-0)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  922160 - Fire Protection - (NAICS 2022)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8f30573965681f440f6dd29ea4d23baa85bc89041731d4ae7e871fb6092bbc1ccf277341bdea8a07ec2f08d57f06e50843943d410e33285e260c55f441ae4b15
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/258741/cdc_258741_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 717.89 KB ]