Firefighter Asbestos Risks

Special Report on Dangers of Asbestos

Firefighters face asbestos risks and may not even know it.

As members of the fire service we are exposed to dangers every day,however, one risk that we often overlook is the exposure to asbestos. This naturally occurring mineral was used in construction for decades during the 1900s,and is a known carcinogen that increases the risk of many types of cancer. It also causes serious respiratory diseases and disorders, including asbestosis, pleural plaques and pleural fibrosis.

Unlike so many other dangers faced by fire personnel, the threat of asbestos is subtle and insidious. There is seldom any huge warning sign to tell a firefighter that they have been exposed to a toxic hazard. Asbestos is a hidden danger and fire service members are usually exposed to it in situations where they have every reason to believe they are safe.

Asbestos was heavily used in construction products for most of the last century. From about 1920 through the 1970s, nearly every building constructed used materials that contained this mineral. The fibrous material was mixed into paint, combined with cellulose to make fiberboard and wallboard, mixed with cement to make siding shingles and formed into felt for use as roof felting and backings on vinyl flooring. Asbestos was even used in joint compound, which was used in dozens of different kinds of applications.

While asbestos has been banned for most uses since the 1980s, those buildings still contain asbestos. This places emergency responders into a high risk category for exposure on the job. Asbestos becomes a danger when it breaks off into tiny fibers that are inhaled or swallowed. This happens when the materials that were made with asbestos are broken, deteriorated or sanded.

Every time a firefighting operation involves a fire in a home or building that contains asbestos, there is a high probability that potentially deadly fibers will be released into the air. It happens when a firefighter punches a hole through a wall, ceiling or floor. If there is a collapse, there is a very high probability that broken walls, blistered paint, plaster and cement will crumble to dust that contains asbestos.

In recent years, there have been a number of highly publicized fires that highlighted this particular danger to our members. In December of 2007, fire destroyed several buildings in a block of New Haven, Connecticut. Fire crews from New Haven and surrounding towns battled the blaze for hours during the night. While fire service personnel typically wear respirators if they have to enter a burning building, it's not unusual for those working to contain the fire from outside to work without masks. In the morning, air quality samples taken at the fire site showed extremely high levels of asbestos around the still smoldering rubble. Personnel on the scene who fought that fire spent hours breathing moist, superheated air that may have been laden with asbestos fibers.

The New Haven fire was not an isolated incident. There have been similar high levels of asbestos reported after fires in schools, homes and public buildings all over the country. There have also been reports of fire fighters who were exposed to asbestos on training exercises. In many communities, firefighters undergo scheduled training in buildings that have been condemned and are scheduled for demolition. In those buildings, usually older buildings constructed during the height of the asbestos era, they practice chopping through walls, punching holes in floors and other fire control techniques that may destroy asbestos-containing materials and release asbestos fibers into the air.

The one place where fire personnel should feel safe is the firehouse, but even there they risk exposure to asbestos. Like most public buildings, firehouses built before the 1980s were built using materials that contained asbestos. This was especially true in public buildings because asbestos was well-known as the best fireproofing material in existence. In older fire stations, deteriorating walls, ceilings and floors contribute to unusually high levels of asbestos in the air.

Asbestos exposure at work takes on a new meaning for firefighters. While workers in most occupations are exposed to their workplace for 8 hours at a stretch, firefighters often spend days at a time in the firehouse. This increases the amount of time that they spend exposed to any heightened levels of asbestos. In many communities, asbestos abatement and removal is addressed on a 'as needed' basis because of the expense.

If you are or were a firefighter and believe that you may have been exposed to asbestos, it is important that you undergo regular screenings to identify any asbestos-related disease. Early identification of mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis greatly increases your treatment options. In addition, if you were exposed to asbestos and later developed an asbestos-related disease, you may be entitled to compensation for your illness. A mesothelioma attorney who is experienced with asbestos litigation can help you determine your options for compensation.

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