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Grenfell Tower Fire: Firefighters' Activities and Their Exposure to Fire Smoke and Heat
Anna A Stec1, David A Purser, T Richard Hull
1Affiliation: Centre for Fire and Hazards Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire PR1 2HE, UK.
Objective:
This study aimed to characterize the smoke exposure of firefighters who attended the Grenfell Tower fire during the initial 20 hours.
Methods:
As no compilation of exposure data exists, data were compiled from nine unconnected sources, including the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, firefighters' statements, incident logs, and the UK Firefighter Cancer and Disease Registry.
Results:
Of the 628 firefighters who attended, information was available from 524. Eighty-nine percent reported exposure to smoke without respiratory protection equipment (RPE), of whom 23% also reported exposure to excessive heat. Common reasons for smoke exposure were assisting casualties (18%), running out of air (15%), and climbing stairs without activating RPE to conserve air (17%).
Conclusions:
A significant proportion of firefighters reported inhaling smoke during the incident with potentially debilitating health effects.
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