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Hazards Exposed to Firefighters in Fire - Physical, Chemical, and Biologic factors -

Article information

J Korean Med Assoc. 2008;51(12):1072-1077
Publication date (electronic) : 2008 December 31
doi : https://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2008.51.12.1072
Jung Man Kim, MD1, Hyun Jae Lee, MD2
1Department of Preventive Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Korea. jmkim2@dau.ac.kr
2Department of Occupational Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Korea. present1216@dreamwiz.com

Abstract

According to National Emergency Management Agency in Korea, numbers of death and injured in firefighters were 34 and 1,555 persons, respectively, between 2003 and 2007. Firefighting is a very dangerous and difficult work because of physical, chemical, and biological hazards. Firstly, physical hazards include burn induced by smoke and other combustion products, heat, noise, and ergonomic factors. Secondly, chemical hazards include chemical asphyxiants such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, and hydrogen sulfide, simple asphyxiants such as carbon dioxide, chemical irritants including as hydrogen chloride, and acrolein, and so on, and other carcinogens. Finally, biological hazards include infectious agents such as hepatitis, tuberculosis, and so forth. We expect this study to help management and promotion of firefighters' health.

Keywords: Fire; Firefighter; Hazard; Health

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Article information Continued

Copyright © 2008 Korean Medical Association

Table 1

Numbers of firefighters of death and injured in Korea, 2003~2007.

Table 1

Table 2

Total numbers of firefighters of death and injured in Korea according types of job, 2003~2007.

Table 2

Table 3

Common chemical hazards exposed to firefighter in fire

Table 3

TLV-TWA: Threshold limit value-time weighted average, TLV-STEL: Threshold limit value-short term exposure limit, TLV-C: Threshold limit value-ceiling