Fighting fire and fumes: Risk awareness and protective practices among Western Australian firefighters

Authors

Kiam Padamsey, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Ruth Wallace, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Adelle Liebenberg, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Martyn Cross, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Jacques Oosthuizen, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

International Journal of Wildland Fire

Volume

33

Issue

4

Publisher

CSIRO

School

School of Medical and Health Sciences

RAS ID

70327

Comments

Padamsey, K., Wallace, R., Liebenberg, A., Cross, M., & Oosthuizen, J. (2024). Fighting fire and fumes: risk awareness and protective practices among Western Australian firefighters. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 33(4). https://doi.org/10.1071/WF23147

Abstract

Background: In Western Australia, the issue of bushfires (wildfires) poses a persistent health risk to both volunteer and career forestry firefighters, populations that have been historically understudied. Aims: This descriptive qualitative study aimed to examine firefighters' level of understanding concerning hazardous exposures, their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) protocols and their decontamination practices. Methods: Guided by the socioecological model, 23 semi-structured interviews were conducted with firefighters representing both volunteer and forestry sectors. Key results: Results indicate a gap in knowledge regarding the health risks associated with bushfire-generated smoke and contaminants among volunteer firefighters. Forestry firefighters, conversely, showed a greater awareness of these risks. Social dynamics, such as peer pressure, were identified as historical deterrents to PPE use, although recent trends indicate positive change. Forestry firefighters also highlighted systemic shortcomings, including inadequate provision of respiratory protection and lack of decontamination facilities for cleaning themselves and their PPE. Conclusion: This study underscores the critical need for educational initiatives to address these gaps in understanding, along with organisational reforms to promote a culture encouraging PPE use and to provide essential resources for effective decontamination. Implications: This research emphasises that a multi-level approach is essential for safeguarding the health of firefighters in bushfire-prone environments.

DOI

10.1071/WF23147

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.