1. Healthy working environment - Preventive behaviour
Enprotex meeting
December 2015
Gå ind i Indsæt > hoved og side fod for at indtaste tekst

2. Safe working environment
Priority on safe working environment.
Obligation to ensure the safety of our firefighters.
Huge focus on safety (healthy lifestyle, do exercise, stop smoking).
Increased focus on how to prevent cancer.
Modern working environment - reduce risk through investment in protective measures - clear strategy.
Safe working environment
Copenhagen Fire Brigade has always prioritised a safe working environment.
We believe that it is our obligation to ensure the safety of our firefighters.
During the last couple of years there has been a huge change of focus on safety – on a healthy lifestyle, doing exercise, stop smoking initiatives.
Especially, an increased focus on how we can prevent diseases such as cancer.
Copenhagen Fire Brigade has taken upon ensuring our staff a modern working environment that seeks to reduce risk. This is to be obtained through investments in protective measures and a clear strategy for preventing behaviour.

3. Fire fighting is dangerous!
The most common approach is to attack the fire from the inside in order to effectively save lives, and minimize property loss and damage to the environment.
The most common approach is to attack the fire from the inside in order to effectively save lives, and minimize property loss and damage to the environment.

4. The result is dirty fire fighters….

5. Risk factors
International studies show that the impacts firefighters are exposed to potentially have a carcinogenic effect.
The risk factors with a potential carcinogenic effect are:
Smoke and fumes from fire
Diesel fumes
Building materials
Working night shift – disruption of your daily rhythm
Risk factors
International studies show that the impacts firefighters are exposed to potentially have a carcinogenic effect.
The risk factors with a potential carcinogenic effect are:
Smoke and fumes from fire
Diesel fumes
Building materials
Working night shift – disruption of your daily rhythm

6. Risk factors
Cause of 30-50% of all cancer diseases is known = about 50% is still unknown.
4-5% of all cases of cancer is caused by your daily work environment.
Increased risk of 3 particular cancers when it comes to firefighters.
They are:
Testicular cancer
Prostate cancer
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Risk factors
Today we know the cause of 30-50% of all cancer diseases. However, that still makes 50% unknown.
At the same time it is estimated that 4-5% of all cases of cancer is caused by your daily work environment.
Studies also show that there is an increased risk of three particular cancers when it comes to firefighters - they are:
Testicular cancer
Prostate cancer
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

7. Risk factors
Uncertainty, whether or not caused by working as a firefighter or other unknown factors in or outside the work environment.
‘Traditional’ lifestyle factors, such as smoking and alcohol, have not been proven or suspected as a cause.
Risk factors
However, you cannot prove with certainty whether or not these increased risks are caused by working as a firefighter or by other unknown factors, either in or outside the work environment.
The so-called traditional lifestyle factors, such as for example smoking or drinking alcohol, have not been proven or suspected as a cause of these three specific types of cancer.

8. The Environment Act According to the Danish Working Environment Act:
The employer must ensure
health and safety conditions are fully acceptable.
necessary training and instructions on how to perform without the risk of exposure to toxic fumes.
The employee must contribute
to the safe environment for work to be conducted in an acceptable healthy and safe manner.
According to the Danish Working Environment Act:
The employer must ensure that both health and safety conditions are fully acceptable.
The employer must ensure that all employees have the same necessary training and instructions on how to do their job without the risk of exposure to toxic fumes.
The employee must contribute to the same safe environment, so that the job can be conducted in an acceptable healthy, and safe, manner.

9. Clean working environment
Copenhagen Fire Brigade has invested in:
No more “personal” fire suits = change into clean fire suits once been in action.
Mobile cleaning facilities = clean off on the spot.
Other mobile facilities (toilets, wellfare)
Investment in a clean working environment
We have invested in:
Dräger PSS BG4, plus closed-circuit breathing apparatus, which provides the fire fighter with up to four hours of breathing air in toxic environments.
Fire suits – nobody has a “personal” fire suit. Our fire fighters can now change into clean fire suits once they have been in action.
Mobile cleaning facilities. This gives all the fire fighters the possibility to clean off on the spot, before they return to their station houses.

10. Mobile cleaning facilities

11. Cleaning facilities
Box with cleaning products to clean helmet, boots, etc. Before entering the fire engine.

12. Mobile toilet

13. Preventive conduct Investments are not enough:
Actively work on changing the views, actions and cultures.
A professional fire fighter knows how to protect himself and his crew. Before, during, and after the incident.
Conduct starts before the alarm goes off.
Ends when back at the station house - washed off and in clean clothes.
Copenhagen Fire Brigade - Preventive conduct
Investments in equipment and material are not enough:
Copenhagen Fire Brigade has actively worked on changing the fire fighters views, actions and work cultures that already exist in relation to firefighting.
A professional fire fighter knows how to protect himself and his crew. Both before, during and after the incident.
The preventive conduct starts, before the alarm goes off and it does not end until the fire fighters are back at the station house - washed off and in clean clothes.

14. Procedures and guidelines
Clear procedure and guidelines for minimizing exposure and how to respond - whether it is a big or small fire.
Proper procedure and guidelines training for all.
Procedures and guidelines
We have introduced clear guidelines and procedures for minimizing exposure, so that everyone knows how to respond and act in any given situation - whether it is a big or small fire.
We ensure that all employees are getting the proper procedure and guidelines training.

15. Procedures and guidelines
Clothing
Clean fireman suits are used
Before crew leaves the scene, filthy turnout gear is disposed of
Change into clean clothing
Filthy suits are put into hot water soluble laundry bags
Equipment
Risk of exposure to smoke or smoke-filled environment, bring full respiratory protection gear.
Protective gear is used, when in contact with smoke, dust, gasses or fumes.
Management at the scene decides when a change in suits is possible.
Procedures and guidelines
Clothing
Clean fireman suits are used during a fire call.
Before the crew leaves the scene, the filthy turnout gear is disposed of and they change into clean clothing.
The contaminated fireman suit is put in sealed off and hot water soluble laundry bags.
Equipment
The firefighters who risk exposure to smoke or works in a smoke-filled environment bring full respiratory protection gear before first contact with smoke.
The protective gear is used as long they are in contact with smoke, dust, gasses or fumes – this includes handling re-flashes also.
The management at the scene will assess when a change to another suitable protective gear is possible.

16. Procedures and guidelines
Behaviour
Only the necessary manpower for the firefighting is sent into the fire.
All additional personnel stay at a safe distance to the scene.
Fire engines and equipment are placed as far away as possible from the smoke plume.
Extended use of “Cobra Coldcut system” and “positive pressure ventilation”
The incident commander is responsible for organizing and carrying out the firefighting, and for making sure crew is exposed to as little smoke and particles as possible.
The incident commander must assess as early as possible the need for re-establishment, e.g. additional purification capacity.
Procedures and guidelines
Behaviour
Only the necessary manpower for the firefighting is sent into the fire.
All additional personnel stay at a safe distance to the scene.
Fire engines and equipment are placed as far away as possible from the smoke plume.
The incident commander is responsible for organizing and carrying out the firefighting, as well as making sure that the crew is exposed to as little smoke and particles as possible.
The incident commander must assess, as early as possible, the need for re-establishment, e.g. additional purification capacity.

17. Procedures and guidelines
Additional equipment
By return to the station house clean turnout gear and equipment is provided for. Crew ready for the next fire call.
Operations
Filtering masks and cloves are used when handling filthy equipment.
This ensures that filthy fireman suits and similar items are not in contact with clean suits and clean equipment.
Procedures and guidelines
Additional equipment
When returning to the station house, clean turnout gear and equipment is provided for, and crew is ready for call out to the next fire.
Operations
Filtering masks and cloves are used when handling filthy equipment.
Furthermore, we are able to ensure that filthy fireman suits and similar items are not in contact with clean suits and clean equipment.

18. Close cooperation
We work closely with the Danish trade unions and our employees in order to ensure the highest level of protection.
We work closely with the industry in order to monitor new techniques that can protect our fire fighters.
We are very interested in close dialogue and new knowledge.
We need more research on Firefighters Safety and standards
Close cooperation with trade unions and the industry
Copenhagen Fire Brigade is working closely with the trade unions and the employees in order to ensure the highest level of protection.
We are working closely with the industry in order to monitor new techniques that can protect our fire fighters.
But we are always interested in dialogue, innovations and gaining new knowledge.

19. Thank you for your attention