The dangers of firefighting do not end when the fire is put out, during the final steps of a call, firefighters are exposed to long term health dangers during a period called overhaul. Overhaul is a safety procedure performed by firefighters after the initial fire is put out, in order to look for hot embers in walls, ceilings, and other areas. The goal of the overhaul is to eliminate the possibility of a respark, starting the fire again. The danger of overhaul come in the form of harmful chemicals and gases which can lead to serious health problems.
“Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the primary cause of death among US firefighters during fire suppression. In other populations, exposure to respirable particles, including ultrafine particles, …show more content…
PNA is product of combustion, and found most concentrated in smoke, but in the study by Bolstad, concentrations of PNA were found during overhaul procedures exceeding the NIOSH recommended exposure limits.(2000) “PNA “in recent experiments have been confirmed as a cause of cancer.”has been proven to have a role in some human cancers.”(Jerina, 2012) Another one-two punch is the combination of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and carbon monoxide(CO). CO by itself is very dangerous, to the public and responders, as it may build up in homes from combustion of fuel. CO can cause a person to become unconscious, and die due to hypoxia. “Each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires, more than 20,000 visit the emergency room, and more than 4,000 are hospitalized.”(CDC, 2015) CO requires long treatment times as it binds to the hemoglobin on blood, making the cells useless and starving the body for oxygen. HCN has similar effect as CO, it also It interferes with oxygen use in the body. “Exposure to the CO-HCN mixture has demonstrated that these gases have additive effects, producing shorter times to incapacitation.’(Sanders, 1994) The synergistic effects of the CO-HCN combination, could render firefighter in overhaul unconscious, and possibly lead to an injury or
“Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the primary cause of death among US firefighters during fire suppression. In other populations, exposure to respirable particles, including ultrafine particles, …show more content…
PNA is product of combustion, and found most concentrated in smoke, but in the study by Bolstad, concentrations of PNA were found during overhaul procedures exceeding the NIOSH recommended exposure limits.(2000) “PNA “in recent experiments have been confirmed as a cause of cancer.”has been proven to have a role in some human cancers.”(Jerina, 2012) Another one-two punch is the combination of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and carbon monoxide(CO). CO by itself is very dangerous, to the public and responders, as it may build up in homes from combustion of fuel. CO can cause a person to become unconscious, and die due to hypoxia. “Each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires, more than 20,000 visit the emergency room, and more than 4,000 are hospitalized.”(CDC, 2015) CO requires long treatment times as it binds to the hemoglobin on blood, making the cells useless and starving the body for oxygen. HCN has similar effect as CO, it also It interferes with oxygen use in the body. “Exposure to the CO-HCN mixture has demonstrated that these gases have additive effects, producing shorter times to incapacitation.’(Sanders, 1994) The synergistic effects of the CO-HCN combination, could render firefighter in overhaul unconscious, and possibly lead to an injury or