The Effects of Hazardous Materials on the Fire Service - Coursework Example

Running Head: EFFECTS OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ON THE FIRE SERVICE Effects of hazardous materials on the fire service Student’s Name Course Tutor Date Table of contents Introduction……………………………………………………………………3 Essence of Fire Fighting……………………………………………………….3 Proper identification of hazardous materials…………………………………..4 Safety measures………………………………………………………………..4 Routes of exposure…………………………………………………………….5 Effects of hazardous materials to the responders………………………………7 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………10 References…………………………………………………………………….11 Effects of hazardous materials on the fire service Introduction Fire refers to the rapid oxidation of some material that result in release of light, heat as well as other products of reaction. The visible part of fire is known as flame and generally consists of hot gases. In case the gases become very hot, they may become ionized to yield plasma. The intensity and the color of the flame largely depend on the substances and the impurities contained in the material. Fire can therefore lead to conflagration thus has the ability of inflicting physical injury through burning (Kistner, 2007).Fire is a vital process that impacts on the global ecological systems hence the positive side of fire encompasses growth stimulation and maintenance of ecological systems. It has been used for generations by humans to prepare food, signaling, and heat generation. Above all the undesirable effects include hazard to all forms of life and atmospheric pollution, which therefore forms the topic of this discussion paper. Essence of Fire Fighting In order to control the dangers of fire to human life, fire fighting services have been instituted in every nation to deal with uncontrolled or accidental fires. Trained fire personnel therefore use fire equipment, fire hydrants, water mains resources such as water mains and fire hydrants and A and B class foam. The choice of fire fighting equipment depends on the fire cause. Fire prevention is intended to reduce sources of ignition (Haung, 2009). Prevention measures also include public education to enlighten the general public on how to be cautious about causing unnecessary fires. For fire safety measures, industrial firms, tall commercial buildings generally carry out fire drills so as to inform as well as prepare people on how to react in case of fire breakout. As is the norm in many countries building codes calls for fire protection systems to proportionately reduce the damage that can result from fire. For maximum protection from any accidental fire, building materials as well as furnishings should be tested for combustibility, fire resistance and inflammability. Back to the main issue, hazardous materials refers to a wide variety of substances that may have a range of effects. Some materials are highly toxic to humans. Others may be dangerous owing to the fact that they are flammable and can cause health problems. General exposure to hazardous materials may therefore cause immediate effects and delayed effects. Hazardous materials therefore encompass any substances that may spill out of its container when there is a problem and harm anything on its vicinity. The response mounted by the first responder to a fire caused by hazardous materials should include a range of measures such as: Proper identification of hazardous materials According to Quincy (2008), any fire incident that involves the release of chemicals, toxic material, chemical wastes and solvent based solutions are considered as hazardous materials and hence should be handled with great care by the fire services personnel to avoid any contamination. Any detection of an incident that involves material spillage or release, the occupants of the place should be safely evacuated. The only recommended and safe course of action for the firefighters is to treat any release or spillage of material as if it is hazardous until appropriate examinations are done by the experts. This is very important for it not only protects the safety of the fire service personnel but also people in the surrounding should the material prove to be hazardous. Safety measures It is important for firefighters to put on positive-pressure breathing apparatus so as to protect from any exposure. However, it is imperative to remember that no apparatus can provide adequate protection from hazardous materials. Many gases as well as vapors can potentially penetrate protective clothing. There are two things that must be very clear when it comes to fire protection, thus contamination and exposure. Contamination generally occurs when a hazardous material remains on a person’s clothing and any part of the body. On the other hand, a person is said to be exposed when chemical and any other infectious materials come into direct or indirect contact with the body. It should be noted that exposure can generally occur without contamination more so when certain dangerous gases or radiation is involved. For example, lethal gases such as carbon monoxide do not remain on the clothing hence contamination is not an issue. Contamination more often results in a lot of exposure (National Fire Protection Association, 2012). Routes of exposure There are three main routes through which what are classified as hazardous materials may enter the human body in case of fire, thus absorption of the materials through the skin, inhalation of the toxic substances through the lungs and at times ingestion of the substances through the mouth. Absorption The skin is meant to act as a barrier though the effectiveness of this function largely depends on the site of contact, condition of the skin and the properties of the toxic substance. Absorption of toxic materials via the skin mostly depends on time, thus the longer the time of contact, the greater the quantity of the substance absorbed. The absorption rate is also influenced by blood supply and the temperature of the skin at the entry sites such as areas those that have a lot of hair follicles. In fact, higher concentrations of materials that come into contact with exposed skin tend to lead to higher absorption. Skin that is very intact is a very good barrier to any foreign material, but damaged skin is very vulnerable to more damage from toxic substances and may substantially increase the rate of absorption of chemical substances in the body. Inhalation In the human body, it is the lungs that act as a point of transfer. Biologically, oxygen from the atmosphere gains access to the bloodstream, and consequently carbon dioxide passes via the lungs from to the atmosphere. Many chemicals get absorbed via the lungs upon inhalation. However, the organ has some protective mechanisms, thus the mucous cells that lines the nose traps any inhaled particles. The lungs may therefore only serve as an entry point and thus may escape being affected by the inhaled toxic substances. For example, toxic gases such as sulphur dioxide ands carbon monoxide easily gains access to the bloodstream when inhaled. Such gases bind with the cell and exclude oxygen from being part of the blood cell hence hindering oxygen from gaining access to the body tissues. Ingestion Although toxic materials exposure as a result of ingestion is not very common in fire accidents in both at work and environmental exposures, ingestion may take place when hazardous material get in contact with the mouth. In case of exposure, it is imperative to take note of the magnitude of exposure. This encompasses taking note of the concentration of the chemical in air and the volume incase of swallowing (Quincy, 2008).The duration of toxic material exposure should be noted because the longer the hazardous material gets into contact with the body organs, the higher the amount absorbed. Effects of hazardous materials to the responders Radiation Even though radiation is not a chemical property but a physical one, it is one of the potential hazards that fire servicemen may come into contact with in the line of their duties. Radioactivity refers to the general property of some specific elements to have the ability of emitting energy that is very dangerous to living organisms. Such energy is mostly in form of beta particles, alpha particles and gamma rays. In terms of reach, alpha particles just travel a very short distance which is about four inches from the source; beta particles can travel a distance of 30 feet from the original source. Alpha and beta particles are known to cause severe harm incase of ingestion or inhalation. Beta particles may also cause very serious burns to skin and are also very dangerous to the eyes. Gamma rays on the other hand carry more energy and penetrate more compared to alpha and beta particles. Due to its high penetrating power, gamma rays easily penetrate the skin. The quantity of radiation that is absorbed by a person exposed to radioactive substances depends on a host of factors which includes the distance from the source of the toxic substance, time of exposure (Quincy, 2008).The factors are very important in minimizing the degree of exposure to a radioactive substance, thus distance comes in handy in reducing the level of exposure. The distance from the source should be widened for it can come in handy helping people such as firefighters to minimize the amount of exposure to hazardous radiation. Various Chemicals Various chemicals are known to have different effects when in contact with the body. Some effects may stem from short-term but extremely high degree of exposures while others may result from longer periods of exposure. It should also be taken into account that a single chemical radiation may be responsible for a variety of effects. Categories of hazardous chemicals include: Asphyxiants This refers to toxic gases that make the body tissues to lack oxygen. There are two categories of asphyxiants, thus chemical asphyxiants and simple asphyxiants. The former refer to a group of gases responsible for prevention of oxygen consumption by the body tissues, even in the event of inhaling sufficient amount of oxygen while the latter displace oxygen. Some of the examples of asphyxiants include hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Corrosives Corrosives may result in irreparable damage to body tissues hence it is advisable for fire fighters to keep distance when dealing with fire that is believed to have been caused by them. Mild damage to the body tissues may largely resemble a burn caused by heat. Some of the good examples of corrosives are acids and alkalis and their effects mostly depend on the strength of the acid and the chemical. Irritants This type of chemicals is known to result in temporary but often severe inflammation of the affected body parts. In some instances, irritation may cause irreversible damage to body tissues of prolonged (Quincy, 2008).The general symptoms as a result of exposure to irritants mostly depend on tissue affected. Some of the common symptoms of irritants are breathing problems, body irritation and coughing. Sensitizers Sensitizers may cause allergy to individuals in case of repeated exposure. The reaction time for sensitizers may be slow and can appear many hours after exposure to the chemical. Repeated exposure may potentially be dangerous as it can result in skin rash if the sensitizer is accidentally inhaled. Carcinogens Hazardous materials that may cause cancer are referred to as carcinogens. Such substances may therefore affect system of body organs that are distantly placed from the point of entry. Good examples of cancer causing chemicals are benzene, which is believed to cause leukemia, asbestos thought to cause cancer of the liver as well as lung cancer and vinyl chloride, which is linked with some cancers of the liver (Kang, Davis, Hunt & Kriebel, 2008). Neurotoxic Chemicals These are chemicals that damages the central and peripheral nervous system and may be permanent or reversible. People working in chemical factories must take precautionary measures to avoid infection. Fire service personnel should also be very cautious when dealing with incidents that may involve such chemicals. Infectious Agents Just in the same way chemicals can gain entry into a person’s body through various ways so does the biological agents. Biological agents can enter the body through wounds in the skin, ingestion and inhalation. Biological agents therefore present real danger to firefighters especially in controlling biological research companies and hospital fires. Biological agents encompass viruses such the dreaded as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis A, B and C and others. In emergency cases such as evacuation of people, some biological agents may be transmitted through exposure to body fluids such as blood hence precautions should be taken to avoid exposures to such body fluids (Kistner, 2007). Conclusion It is important for fire service personnel to ensure that there response to fire outbreaks adhere to the recommended safety precautionary measures to ensure and guarantee safety of their general health. This calls for establishment of tactical objectives and ensuring that they conform to the established goals. Effective management of a fire accident scene depends on a well-stipulated structure which should be outlined in standard operating procedures. An operation without a proper system of incident management may jeopardize the safety of the firefighting personnel. References Haung, K ( 2009). Population and Building Factors That Impact Residential Fire Rates in Large U.S. Cities, Applied Research Project. Texas State University. Kang, D, Davis, L.K, Hunt, P & Kriebel, D (2008), Cancer incidents Among Male Massachusetts Firefighters, 1987-2003, American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 51, 329-335. Kistner, D (2007). To You Health! Health safety is just as important as fireground safety: Fire Rescue Magazine, pp 136-138. National Fire Protection Association. Web. March 2012 from http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=2439&itemID=55501&URL=Research/ Statistical%20reports/Major%20causes/ Quincy, MA (2008), Fire Protection Handbook, National Fire Protection Association. Read More

the main issue, hazardous materials refers to a wide variety of substances that may have a range of effects. Some materials are highly toxic to humans. Others may be dangerous owing to the fact that they are flammable and can cause health problems. General exposure to hazardous materials may therefore cause immediate effects and delayed effects. Hazardous materials therefore encompass any substances that may spill out of its container when there is a problem and harm anything on its vicinity. The response mounted by the first responder to a fire caused by hazardous materials should include a range of measures such as: Proper identification of hazardous materials According to Quincy (2008), any fire incident that involves the release of chemicals, toxic material, chemical wastes and solvent based solutions are considered as hazardous materials and hence should be handled with great care by the fire services personnel to avoid any contamination.

Any detection of an incident that involves material spillage or release, the occupants of the place should be safely evacuated. The only recommended and safe course of action for the firefighters is to treat any release or spillage of material as if it is hazardous until appropriate examinations are done by the experts. This is very important for it not only protects the safety of the fire service personnel but also people in the surrounding should the material prove to be hazardous. Safety measures It is important for firefighters to put on positive-pressure breathing apparatus so as to protect from any exposure.

However, it is imperative to remember that no apparatus can provide adequate protection from hazardous materials. Many gases as well as vapors can potentially penetrate protective clothing. There are two things that must be very clear when it comes to fire protection, thus contamination and exposure. Contamination generally occurs when a hazardous material remains on a person’s clothing and any part of the body. On the other hand, a person is said to be exposed when chemical and any other infectious materials come into direct or indirect contact with the body.

It should be noted that exposure can generally occur without contamination more so when certain dangerous gases or radiation is involved. For example, lethal gases such as carbon monoxide do not remain on the clothing hence contamination is not an issue. Contamination more often results in a lot of exposure (National Fire Protection Association, 2012). Routes of exposure There are three main routes through which what are classified as hazardous materials may enter the human body in case of fire, thus absorption of the materials through the skin, inhalation of the toxic substances through the lungs and at times ingestion of the substances through the mouth.

Absorption The skin is meant to act as a barrier though the effectiveness of this function largely depends on the site of contact, condition of the skin and the properties of the toxic substance. Absorption of toxic materials via the skin mostly depends on time, thus the longer the time of contact, the greater the quantity of the substance absorbed. The absorption rate is also influenced by blood supply and the temperature of the skin at the entry sites such as areas those that have a lot of hair follicles.

In fact, higher concentrations of materials that come into contact with exposed skin tend to lead to higher absorption. Skin that is very intact is a very good barrier to any foreign material, but damaged skin is very vulnerable to more damage from toxic substances and may substantially increase the rate of absorption of chemical substances in the body. Inhalation In the human body, it is the lungs that act as a point of transfer. Biologically, oxygen from the atmosphere gains access to the bloodstream, and consequently carbon dioxide passes via the lungs from to the atmosphere.

Many chemicals get absorbed via the lungs upon inhalation. However, the organ has some protective mechanisms, thus the mucous cells that lines the nose traps any inhaled particles.

Read More