Additional Safety Gear For Firefighters

Firefighters have a variety of necessary safety equipment that they must utilize on a daily basis to protect themselves from occupational hazards, including high heat and airborne toxins, including:

• Fire and heat-retardant outerwear, including jackets, pants, and gloves
• Flame-resistant, insulated rubber boots
• Self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBA
• Safety goggles
• Fire-resistant hoods

All of these safety implements ensure the safety of firefighters while on the job. Additionally, these implements also do their part to ensure that firefighters limit their exposure to dangerously high levels of asbestos. It is crucial, however, to understand the proper use of each safety implement.

Fire and Heat-Retardant Outerwear

Jackets, pants, and gloves are perhaps the most important pieces of firefighter safety gear, as they shield the firefighter from the intense heat emitted by a fire. After the fire has been extinguished, however, it is important to remove these items before departing the site of the fire to prevent transfer of errant asbestos fibers to another location.

Flame-resistant Rubber Boots

As with outerwear, a firefighter’s boots protect their feet from extreme heat and provide traction when moving. It is also necessary to remove boots before leaving the location of the fire to avoid carrying asbestos fibers to other locations.

Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus

An SCBA is incredibly important to any firefighter. The SCBA will provide clean and breathable air for the firefighter during a fire. SCBA’s should be cleaned after they are worn at the site of a fire to prevent asbestos fiber transfer.

Safety Goggles

Goggles should be worn at all times while extinguishing a fire to protect the eyes. Additionally, goggles can prevent errant, airborne materials from getting into the eyes.

Fire-resistant Hood

A fire-resistant hood will protect the firefighter’s head and neck from the intense heat of a fire, and will also prevent asbestos fibers and other wayward materials from getting on to the body and being transferred to another location.

Firefighters And Secondhand Asbestos Exposure

The number of people that have been exposed to asbestos secondhand and have ultimately developed mesothelioma has increased in recent years. It is crucial that firefighters remove any safety gear and other clothing that may harbor asbestos fibers before leaving the scene of any fire to avoid transferring asbestos to various other locations. It is advisable to wear a mask (similar to what a doctor might wear) when handling and washing clothing that may contain asbestos fibers to avoid inhalation.

Last modified: December 09 2009.