Studies
have been interpreted to show that wildland firefighters are exposed
to a complex mixture of combustion products including carbon
monoxide, carcinogens, ultra fine respirable particles and irritant
gases and vapours. The exposures to some of the most toxic combustion
products mostly tend to exceed occupational short term exposure
limits. That is why it is very important for wildland firefighters to
take additional precaution while they are working.
Another
important thing to remember is that generally, there are no specific
exposure limits for smoke from fires even though firemen constantly
experience multiple chemical exposures from smoke. More importantly,
wildland fires are comprised of a mixture of gases and respirable
particulate matter that can wreak havoc on the health of the firemen.
In short, adequate protection of the right kind remains a crucial
part of the gear provided to them.
Wildland firefighter respiratory protection must
be developed particularly for use under the circumstances where the
above mentioned exposures are likely to happen. If these respirators
and protection systems are not used as per the recommendations and
the standards set by the U.S. National Fire Protection Association,
the firefighters can end up suffering from the short term as well as
the long term effects of the components that they are exposed to.
