NIOSH Guidelines on Protecting Fire Fighters Using Risk Management Principles
NIOSH announced the availability of the publication “Preventing Deaths and Injuries of Fire Fighters Using Risk Management Principles at Structure Fires.” (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2010-153/) NIOSH developed this publication to assist the U.S. fire service in preventing fire fighter injuries and deaths at structure fires. Established fire service risk management principles suggest that caution should be exercised in abandoned, vacant and unoccupied structures and in situations where there is no clear evidence indicating that people are trapped inside the structure and can be saved. It summarizes fatality statistics from the National Fire Protection Association as well as the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP) databases. The publication describes four case studies on the deaths of five fire fighters and injuries to 10 others during fire suppression operations in and around structures with considerable fire involvement where there were indications that the structures were unoccupied. The publication presents a number of recommendations for preventing similar occurrences of fire fighter injuries and deaths. The primary audiences are expected to be fire commissioners, fire chiefs, fire department and municipal managers, fire fighters, labor unions, safety and health professionals, trainers, fire investigators, and state fire marshals.