A Summary of Health Hazard Evaluations: Issues Related to Occupational Exposure to DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

In January 1990, three professional fire fighters combating a residential fire became unconscious and were brought out of the structure in full cardiac arrest—one was successfully resuscitated; two died. The IAFF contacted NIOSH in April, and a team (consisting of a physician, a respirator specialist, and an occupational safety and health specialist) conducted an investigation of the incident. No environmental samples were collected at the time of the fire, but arterial blood gas samples from the two deceased fire fighters that were taken after their arrival at the hospital showed COHb levels of 17% and 38%. Postmortem blood cyanide tests were negative. A hazardous materials team from the county fire depart­ ment had investigated the structure 3 hours after the fire and did not find any haz­ ardous materials. The fire fighters were all wearing SCBAs, and an air sample of the supplied breathing air was taken the morn­ ing after the incident and determined to be of higher quality than was required. The medical examiner's office said the cause of death for both fire fighters was smoke inhalation based on the abundance of soot in the lower trachea, large mainstream bronchi, and smaller bronchiolar radicles. Given the evidence, NIOSH investigators could not make a definitive determination of the actual cause of death but said that CO was more likely the cause than cyanide or an unknown toxin resulting from combustion. They also suggested that the exposure occurred in the structure and that for some unknown reason the fire fighters' SCBA units were probably not delivering air to the exclusion of outside air at some point. They recommended that in similar situations grab samples of the atmosphere should be collected immediately using a gas-tight bag, blood samples should be collected as soon as possible, times should be documented accurately for any sample collection or significant event, and investigations such as this one should be conducted as soon as possible after the incident and should involve an IH to take samples of suspect material. HETA 90–0395–2121 June 1991 Requester: Union Purpose: To assess the safety and health practices of a county fire department after the death of an employee