The Widespread Prevalence of Smoking - Literature review Example

The Widespread Prevalence of Smoking Name: Unit: Course: Professor: Submission Date: Today there is evident pronounced outcome that the widespread prevalence of smoking hand in hand with its propensity to cause fires in various situations has resulted in being noted as the probable fire cause in situations where it is totally inappropriate. This essay will look into various factors that are linked to fires prevalence, prevention, and control as well as analyses exiting literature reports. Smoking fire materials have been shown to cause fatal compared to any other forms of fire. For instance, according to 2001-2004 home fires report, smoking was accounted for 45% of all fatal reported from apartment fires. The report did show that smoking while in bed, having ashtrays placed in chairs or sofas, use of shallow ashtrays, and disposing ashes with heat potentially to cause fire, leaving pipes, cigars or cigarettes unattended, leaving any form of smoking material burning in person’s absentia and leaving lighters or matches within children’s reach were the main causes of fires from smoking (Seattle Fire Department, n.d., p4). Looking at Ahrens, (2012 p1) collection in 20016-2010 the fire departments in the U.S. did respond to about 6,240 structure fires on average within properties of healthcare annually. On average the fires did result to about 6 deaths cases among civilians and injuries were estimated at 171 civilian while the annual direct property damage was $52.1 million. Of these fires about half occurred within the nursing homes (46%) while about a quarter were linked to hospices and hospital fires (23%). Of the total number of fires, 6% were caused by smoking materials, with cooking equipment contributing 61% fires. Although, this stats gives smoking fires a low percentage compared to that earlier gathered on (Seattle Fire Department, n.d. p4) this could be contributed from the fact that smoking within the healthcare centers is highly prohibited and discouraged as compared to other public places. Thus, like any other form of fires, smoking fires are contributing factors to increased morbidity and mortality as well as unaccountable material and monetary losses. This is so as Bennet, (2008 p39) puts that in every incidence of nursing home fires there are two deaths and 15 patients injured with the elderly people above 75 years being the most vulnerable victims. According to Tawadrous, (2000 p2) not only is cigarette smoking a leading cause of morbidity and mortality within the healthcare, it is also the leading lethal cause of fire although the information is not widely known. Smoking fire effects on health, premises although it remains highly preventable. But unfortunately, almost a quarter of all fire deaths in the U.S. occur as fatal fires caused by the cigarettes fires. Among the 1,000 victims of smoking fires are not only the smokers who fall asleep with the cigar on, but also innocent by standers and children. Each year, fires from smoking cigarettes are responsible for about 3,000 injuries and 1,000 deaths in the US in reference to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) report. Although the ignition fires sources accounts for more than 20% of all deaths caused by fires, smoking cigarettes remain the largest specific cause of fire deaths. Further, smoking accounts for over half billion dollars property losses. The health care productivity losses and economic costs, hand in hand with suffering and pain costs in human increases the annual costs to about $4 billion. Thus, the report by Tawadrous, aligns with the Seattle Fire Department unlike the Ahren report, probably due to the fact that the former two authors did review the NFPA reports which gives comprehensive data on fire causes, control and prevention in the US. In various reports, there is always vast information on the causes of fires. This is more of a mystery to a layman’s understanding as a person keeps wondering how were the fire experts able to understand the cause of fire was smoking and not gas caused fires? Realizing the dissociate in knowledge and skills this section focuses on the investigation that explore fire dynamics and causes and application of various techniques to give such fine tuned and detailed information. In investigating fire breakout, the fire expertise tries to answer various questions such as what could have caused the fire?. Where might the fire have begun? When might the fire have started? And what got burned? (Oregon State Fire Marshal, 2010, p6). According to Howard, (2013, p1), the investigator rely on various techniques and observations to understand the fire causes, chemical tests, satellite imagery and flames telltale signs. Fire brigades ought to undergo various fires related subjects prior to their certification such include, scene documentation, fire dynamics, and fire chemistry among others. Fire investigation was not part of science to late 1970’s. Prior to that, the traditional methodologies were used to gather information on fire causes, such as witness tales. During investigation, the first step is investigating the origin of the fire. The origin is specified as area of origin referring to the big picture of fire start such as a room within an apartment. Further, the point of origin is the, “the smallest identifiable area that can range from small to big room”, (Howard, 2013 p1). Where fire refers to wildfires the area of origin could be as big as an hectare while point of origin can be as small as campfire. Upon, understanding and getting the origin, next is finding out the fire sources by evaluating the material that might result to fire and evaluated its ability to lead to ignition. In reference to Massachusetts State Fire Marshal, (n.d, p1) to understand fire causes and dynamic of fire, the fire investigator should follow various accident investigative approach and incendiary fire investigation, fire investigation guideline that puts emphases on evidence collection and documentation in various steps as the approach is termed as effective in carrying out investigations in public sector fire. The systematic stages give a specificity and accuracy in reference to fire causes and origin. However, this vital information might be hard to conclude in area where fire caused extensive fire-damage in buildings. The first step is preliminary scene examination where fire investigator expertise ought to get notification about the fire incidence and make a fast response to any type of fire that is serious or might have resulted from smoking fires, arson fires or other fire causes immediately upon the dispatch of the fire apparatus, 24/7. The fire investigator should carry with him/her a full “ready-to-go” turnout gear compliment, camera equipment, evidence collection tools and excavation tool within his/her response vehicle. Upon arrival to the scene, the fire investigator should judge whether he/she needs a back up fire investigator and asses the fire building interior or exterior to certify entry safety and whether there need of back up that the Fire Prevention Unit should offer taking shortest time possible to such critical judgments. Upon arrival, if the fire ground people are taking control of the fire and the fire investigator cannot access the premises, the fire investigator begins interviewing witnesses. The fire investigator should remain as sober as possible despite destruction to ensure he/she gets the most essential information and important detail that may help in understanding the cause and fire origin. The fire investigator should gather firsthand information from the occupant or owner on what could have led to the fire or how the fire appeared to be like in the start and where the fire might have begun. The witnesses include the occupants, the fire building abutters or passerby witnesses (Massachusetts State Fire Marshal, n.d. p2.).This information is fundamental during the fire investigation moment at the scene, the follow up process and even in the need to present such information in the court. However, unfortunately, some fire investigators may fail to align their outcome with witnesses’ details and when in court the fire investigator may deeper or argue with the eye witnesses’ information as his/her findings were not aligned with the primary eyewitness data (café, 2011). With the witnesses information recorded, the fire investigator should carry out thorough full scene examination (Massachusetts State Fire Marshal, n.d. p3). From the eyewitnesses the fire investigator finds from them where the fire is likely to have started (circumstantial evidence). The information is fundamental as it saves the Fire investigator from wasting time in locating the place blindly, (Café, 2011 p1). The details are fundamental as it entails following the area of origin map to understand fire flows. Next the fire investigator should interrogate the occupants or the owners to help understand whether they can tell what caused the fire. This helps in understanding potential sources of fire in the apartment, regardless of whether the person could be a suspect of the reason behind the fire cause such as in case of smoking cigarettes that might have resulted to fire in one house and spreads to other apartments in a commercial residential building, where residents could also be expressing their anger. Further, their information may help read in between the lines of whether the information is valid especially when the Fire Brigade Investigator or the police were also provided with consistence information or different information altogether (Café, 2011). Use of sniffer dogs or fire brigade investigator in NSW has proven to be a reliable procedure of fire investigation. Further, the Fire Brigade Investigators remains reliable valuable information source. As Fire Investigator prior to entering the apartments asses your security safety and ability to gather the required data. After these processes the Fire Investigator looks forward to carry out physical examination (Café, 2011). Thus, the investigator should ensure he/she uses properly sterilized tools to avoid data distortion, fire flows analysis patterns putting all the details of the house trying to get the initial picture and gather both audio and photographic information and if necessary call other related expertise that may help in giving better analysis or clarification for instance by providing vital information electric expertise or furnace technicians (Massachusetts State Fire Marshal, n.d. p4). The basic systematic scientific approach can be applied by any certified fire investigator. However, the method is faced by various factors as that some professional may only be hacks with little knowledge of fire cause origin and fire analysis that leading to false reports (Philip Ackland Holdings, Ltd, 2012 p3). Further, the method suffers from the challenge of getting the cause and origin to ensure data reliability and objectivity especially where the fire investigator may pose threat in acquiring information from the witnesses. In reference to section 17.1 of NFPA 921, it states, “in general if the fire origin determination is impossible, is also not possible to determine the cause and in general if there is a lack of correct identification of fire origin follows that the determination of the cause is incorrect. The fire origin is determined so as to help in 3-D identification of the point of the fire origin”, (Philip Ackland Holdings, Ltd, 2012 p4). Thus determination of smoking fire origin entails the collection of data, analysis and information coordination gathered from various sources and activities these activities as per the section 17.1.2. NFPA 921concurs with Massachusetts Fire Marshal Guideline and includes, information from the witness, fire patterns (fire patterns and effects analysis), Arc mapping and dynamics of the fire (the chemistry and physics), fire dynamics, initiation and fire growth and the building systems and fire interactions, (Philip Ackland Holdings, Ltd, 2012 p4). From the site, the Fire Investigator should carry with him/her written information from witnesses and photographs, recorded tapes from the scene are compiled. Laboratory test are further carried out to ascertain the fire causes, police reports make up additional information that the fire investigator should have. Subsequently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA 1910.39, 157 to 165) gives guidelines of fire prevention plan that should be adapted by various institutions or workplaces sites (Cavanaugh, 2016 p2). Smoking is a potential ignition sources and that control measure ought to be adapted as seriously as possible. Being the leading causes of the US fires, the University of Rochester puts stringent measures to control the smoking menace. Such measures include: There should no smoking practiced within the institutions vehicles or buildings. Strictly no smoking in the outdoors around the or near any hazardous materials or fuel pumps and any smokers near such sites should be at least 30 feet from the site of reference, or from any air intake, widow, door or any other site where the odor might diffuse to into the building (Cavanaugh, 2016 p5). Further, to ensure residents smoking rates are not interfered within institutions such as hospital should have smoking fire prevention polices within the hospitals. Such measures may include: clearly defined, non-compliance consequence including preterm discharge from the health institution, supervision and assessment practices, safe smoking practices, oxygen and tubing storage, smoking times defined and smoking locations sited and clearly explained to the patients, relatives and care givers when handling the patient within the institution (Bennet, 2008 p39). To conclude, Fire Investigators (FI) might be a fire specialist or not. However, the FI should follow clear set guidelines to asses fire causes, origin, damage and spreading. There are various reports on smoking prevalence as a lethal factor to widespread fires. Studies show that not only smoking may cause fires within a residential building, but also in public institutions and even wildfires. Smoking is a leading cause of death and morbidity, as well as property damage and other productivity and economic related losses and thus its use should be controlled through strict policies and standards since smoking fires can be highly prevented. References Ahrens, M. 2012. Fires in health care facilities. NFPAs Report. [Internet]. http://www.nfpa.org/research/reports-and-statistics/fires-by-property-type/health-care-facilities/fires-in-health-care-facilities, accessed 4/20/16. Bennet, J. 2008. Safe Smoking: Fact or Myth? [Internet]. https://www.careproviders.org/members/2008/safesmoking.pdf, pp39-41, accessed 4/20/16. Cavanaugh, M. 2016. Environmental Health and Safety. University of Rochester Fire Prevention Plan. [Internet]. https://www.safety.rochester.edu/fire/pdf/FirePreventionPlan.pdf, accessed 4/20/16. Hward, B.C. 2013. National Geographic. [Internet]. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/09/130907-fire-investigations-fire-science/, accessed 4/20/16. Massachusetts State Fire Marshal, n.d.. Fire Investigation Guideline. [Internet]. http://www.mass.gov/eopss/docs/dfs/fiu/fire-investigation-guidlines.pdf, accessed 4/20/16. Oregon State Fire Marshal Course Outline, 2010. Basic Fire Investigation Training 100, pp1-29. [Internet]. https://www.oregon.gov/osp/SFM/docs/Fire_Life_Safety/BFI_100_Course_Outline.pdf, accessed 4/20/16. Philip Ackland Holdings, Ltd, 2012. Chapter 13: Methodology of Investigation, [Internet]. http://www.philackland.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/13-methodology.pdf, accessed 4/20/16. Seattle Fire Department, n.d.. Fire Safety Handbook for Apartment Managers. For Apartment Managers Seattle Fire Department Fire Prevention Division Public Education Section [Internet]. http://www.seattle.gov/fire/pubEd/apt/apt_managers_handbook.pdf, accessed 4/20/16. Tawadrous, M. 2000. Fire Investigation Cigarettes: How often they Cause Fires? [Internet]. http://www.tcforensic.com.au/docs/uts/essay5.pdf , accessed 4/20/16. Read More