Health and Safety Updates
- Feb 13, 2009
- Cyanide Exposure Can Lead to Acute and Chronic Illness
Plastics burn and cyanide is produced. The quantity of cyanide in smoke is greater than previously believed. This signs and symptoms of cyanide poisoning in firefighters has gone unnoticed because they are similar to carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Jan 23, 2009
- NIOSH Respiratory Certification
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) certifies respiratory protection equipment under provisions of Title 42, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 84. NIOSH will only certify those respirators or combination of respirators that meet the minimum requirements set forth in the regulation.
- Jan 9, 2009
- Air Mask Safety Advisory
Users must ensure that the coupling nut is hand tight when donning the air mask before each use, as well as during air mask inspections and before performing any functional tests.
- Nov 24, 2008
- High Visibility Apparel Exemption
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today issued an Interim Final Rule to address safety concerns raised by the firefighting community regarding high-visibility safety apparel.
- Wildland Firefighter Safety
To keep you current, CPF has created a special Wildland Firefighter Safety Web site. Culled from the forthcoming update of the CFFJAC's I-Zone program, the site offers information and principles that will help prevent injuries while fighting fires in the wildland-urban interface, as well as links to more detailed information.
- Proposed WUI Standards of Coverage
As development has spread into areas once viewed as wilderness, the traditional standards of coverage for the wildlands just don't apply anymore. Recognizing this new reality, a team of front-line firefighters and fire management has drafted a new Standard of Cover for the Wildland Urban Interface.
- Heat Stress Prevention
Firefighting is hard, dangerous work at any time. But during the hot summer, the risks increase exponentially. Whether it's heat cramps (involuntary muscle contractions), heat exhaustion (weakness, nausea, extreme fatigue) or heat stroke (caused by extremely elevated body temperature), you need to know how to protect yourself.