An interesting post by Billy Goldfeder through the “Secret List”- Fire Fighters Close Calls (www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com) provided information on two reports that the NFPA recently released. The two reports “Firefighter injuries in the United States”, released in October 2013 [www.nfpa.org] includes statistics on line-of-duty firefighter injuries in 2012 from NFPA’s survey of fire departments – including non-incident-related injuries, trends, and brief narratives on selected incidents. The second report, “An analysis of volunteer firefighter injuries” 2010-2012, released January 2014 [www.nfpa.org] provides an analysis of volunteer firefighter injuries comparing their experience to all firefighter injuries.

Another report dealing with injuries and fatalities in the work place Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) - Current and Revised, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Data (US Department of Labor) [www.bls.gov] provides both a historical and current (1992-2012) look at illness, injuries, and fatalities in the workplace.

The reports, while not directed at the fire investigation community it does provide a pretty good snapshot on workplace safety related issues. Slips, Trips, and Falls remain high in the list of causes for workplace injuries (with the exception of Motor Vehicle or Mechanized Equipment) most of which can be prevented.

While not the most commonly read chapter, The Technical Committee on Fire Investigations, with contributions from a variety of public proposals, have improved and expanded the content of the “Safety” chapter over the past three editions of NFPA 921. It does show that there is increased awareness of the need for improved safety on the fire and explosion scene and during post scene investigation activities.

To quote Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs) “Safety 3rd or at least in the top 5” has a unique take on safety and its importance in the workplace. The 3 minute or so video can be viewed on his website [www.mikeroweworks.com] it is worth taking the time to view.

While this is a fairly long post (not as long as some other recent ones) for me, hopefully it does cause the group to remember they can be injured on the fire and explosion scene and during post scene activities. We also are exposed to items that can cause occupational illness in both the short and long term. We as a “community” will most likely not see a statistical breakdown of occupational illnesses, injuries, and fatalities.

Thanks, and remember “Safety 3rd” or at least in the top 5”. Be safe out there!

Ron

Ron Hopkins, CFEI, CFPS, F-IAFI
TRACE Fire Protection and Safety
Richmond, Kentucky USA