What protective measures can be taken to guard against asbestos exposure risks in the UK fire and rescue services?

Firefighters and rescue personnel play a fundamental role in our society, providing a reassurance of safety and protection in the event of a fire or another extremely dangerous event.

But of course, such is the nature of fire and rescue workers’ jobs, and the broad range of risks they face in their day-to-day working lives, that certain dangers may not always be talked about to the extent that they should be. Asbestos in UK buildings may be one such source of risk.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the subject of asbestos, and the dangers that this now-banned fibrous silicate mineral may pose to firefighters and rescue personnel if their jobs require them to enter premises where the substance is still present.

Alongside consideration of the nature and extent of any asbestos risks to such workers, we will consider how those risks can be identified and combated, both prior to and during firefighting and rescue operations.

Understanding the risks of asbestos to firefighters and rescue personnel

To what extent does asbestos pose a meaningful risk to firefighters and rescue personnel? Some of the resources, information, and statistics that exist in relation to this subject paint a mixed picture.

On one hand, the severe dangers that asbestos exposure can present to human health in general – not just to firefighters and rescue workers – are extremely well-documented and established. This knowledge led to the use of asbestos in the UK eventually being banned altogether in late 1999, after the mineral had been a widely used construction material for much of the 20th century.

The inhalation or ingestion of asbestos fibres is closely linked to the development of such potentially fatal health conditions as mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer. Such is the latency period for the emergence of symptoms after asbestos exposure – which can be as long as 60 years or more – that even during the 2020s, around 5,000 deaths per year in the UK can still be attributed to asbestos.

The varying asbestos risks to firefighters, tradespeople, and the public

At this point, you might be thinking: isn’t asbestos-related disease much more commonly associated with people who spent the 20th century working in construction and maintenance trades, rather than firefighters or rescue workers? This is true, although there have also been various cases in the past of firefighters and related professionals developing asbestos-related disease, and seeking – and obtaining – compensation in relation to this.

On the other hand, some observers may be inclined to look to a report published by the UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) in 2007, which found that “if appropriate clean-up procedures are followed, there is no significant public health risk resulting from asbestos exposures from large-scale fires.”

That report identified various factors that could mitigate the potential adverse health impact of a fire involving asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). These include the fact that not all the ACMs present may actually be involved in the fire, as well as the potential for some asbestos fibres to be entrapped in larger pieces of material, or “denatured” at high temperatures.

Still, given cases like those cited above of firefighters going on to develop asbestos-related disease, as well as the structural damage that fires can cause to buildings (with the consequences this can have for ACMs being disturbed and loose fibres released), there appears to be a genuine risk to such workers that needs to be acknowledged and planned for.

It is important to bear in mind, too, that with asbestos being noted as highly fire-resistant, back in the 1970s, firefighters were known to use asbestos blankets to put out fires. Other firefighters may have been exposed during training exercises that necessitated them crawling into confined spaces where pipes were lagged with asbestos.

So, as you can see, firefighters have historically been exposed to certain asbestos risks that have not necessarily been issues for members of the public and even some tradespeople.

Protective measures before and during operations

A lot, of course, has changed over the years with regard to the asbestos risks posed to firefighters and rescue personnel. The aforementioned asbestos fire blankets, for example, are no longer used, and there is much greater awareness of the dangers of asbestos than there used to be. Consequently, training exercises no longer take place where asbestos is present.

Unfortunately, however, it cannot be concluded from the above that firefighting personnel in present-day Britain are therefore safe from the risks of asbestos exposure. Indeed, it has been estimated that as many as 1.5 million buildings across the UK – built or renovated prior to the year 2000, when asbestos was still legal to use – could still contain the substance.

So, what can be done to help combat some of these asbestos risks, even before an incident as catastrophic as a fire occurs? One of the most important elements, is property owners and managers making sure they are complying with their obligations under UK asbestos law, long before a firefighting or rescue operation becomes necessary.

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012) is the UK’s overarching asbestos legislation, applicable to non-domestic premises, but also some domestic properties in certain circumstances (for example, the “common parts” of multi-occupancy properties such as purpose-built flats).

If you are a person in charge of maintenance for a given building – and would therefore be classed as a “dutyholder” under Regulation 4 of CAR 2012 – you will have a “duty to manage” asbestos under the law. This duty encompasses such responsibilities as taking reasonable steps to determine the exact asbestos situation in the property, and creating and keeping up to date an asbestos management plan.

Arranging to have an asbestos survey undertaken at your property, putting together and maintaining an asbestos register, and carrying out a risk assessment, will help provide accurate and up-to-date information about any ACMs in the building.

This information could then be fed into firefighting and response plans to help better protect emergency personnel if a disaster such as a fire does occur.

How can personal protective equipment (PPE) help protect firefighters?

The standard equipment provided to firefighters and rescue personnel in the UK will typically provide some level of protection against asbestos. However, if such workers are dealing with a fire or a similar situation that directly involves asbestos, or in a building where ACMs are suspected or known to be present, there may be a need for additional measures to help ensure optimal protection.

• The standard PPE used by firefighters, including breathing apparatus, will typically provide adequate protection against asbestos fibres. However, it will be of critical importance to ensure the proper fit and function of such equipment.
• If firefighters do enter a building in which asbestos disturbance has occurred – along with some level of asbestos exposure – a thorough decontamination procedure will be needed to help prevent the spread of asbestos fibres. Standard procedures may need to be enhanced to address this risk.
• In areas where asbestos is known or suspected to be present, continuous air monitoring can help ascertain whether there is any change in the concentration of asbestos fibres in the air due to an incident such as a fire. However, this may not be part of standard firefighting equipment, so additional resources might be necessary.
• Specific training will need to be provided to firefighters. This should encompass not only the hazards of asbestos, but also how specialised equipment and procedures can be correctly used to help ensure safety.

Post-incident procedures

Even once the acute phase of a fire and/or rescue incident has passed, there will be a great need for vigilance about asbestos risks. It is at this stage that the right decontamination processes, as well as the careful management of asbestos-contaminated sites, will help mitigate any lingering risks from the substance.

Firefighters are advised, for example, to:

• Set up decontamination units at incident scenes to enable the safe removal of contaminated gear and clothing
• Continue wearing full PPE while damping down a fire, and consider using a personal issue respirator, too
• Clean their PPE on the scene, removing as many products of combustion as possible
• Use wet wipes to remove soot and other potential contaminants from their head, neck, jaw, throat, hands, and underarms
• Wear disposable gloves and masks during their cleaning of dirty PPE
• Replace their dirty fire kit when they return to the station, in addition to cleaning their helmet and boots
• Thoroughly clean the interior of fire appliances, as well as equipment and lockers
• If required, shower and change after the removal of PPE
• Never take PPE home or store it in their vehicle

As for the premises where the fire or similar incident has taken place, fire and rescue personnel can help reduce any remaining risks by securing and marking any areas known or suspected to be contaminated. They can further help mitigate risk by coordinating with specialised asbestos professionals and communicating with affected property owners and occupants.

Asbestos-related training and education for firefighters and rescue workers

As we have previously written about at Oracle Solutions, asbestos awareness training should be provided to those who carry out work within or on any building or structure that may contain asbestos. Firefighters and rescue personnel, then, could benefit considerably from the information that such a course provides on how to avoid disturbing asbestos materials when doing their job.

When a high standard of initial asbestos awareness training is combined with regular drills and refreshers on asbestos safety, and the incorporation of asbestos information into broader safety training, firefighters and rescue personnel can be in a better position to manage and mitigate risks.

Monitoring and health surveillance

Firefighters and rescue personnel who are concerned about having possibly become exposed to asbestos due to their work activities are advised to consult their GP, and to request that a note be made in their personal record about potential exposure.

In certain circumstances, the GP might refer the concerned patient to a specialist in respiratory medicine. However, it is also important to bear in mind that the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not advocate routine X-rays for people who may have been inadvertently exposed to asbestos.

As we mentioned above, there is a long latency period for the development of asbestos-related disease, so it can often take many years for any signs of asbestos-related damage to the lungs to become visible on chest X-rays. Nor does the mere fact of someone having been exposed to asbestos in the past, mean they will necessarily go on to develop asbestos-related disease.

Legal and regulatory considerations

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 is applicable to all activities of fire and rescue authorities, in their capacity as the employers of fire and rescue personnel. The Act sets out that employers must ensure the health, safety, and welfare at work of their employees; nor must their activities adversely impact the health and safety of other people.

It is important to acknowledge, however, that such health and safety duties are not absolute; they are qualified by the test of what is reasonably practicable.

It is not a requirement under the Act, therefore, for all risks to be eliminated, and the HSE recognises that even in situations of all reasonable precautions being taken to address foreseeable risks, harm could still occur.

Any exposure to asbestos should be reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) if it satisfies the terms to be a reportable incident.

Conclusion: a vigilant approach is crucial to help protect firefighting and rescue personnel from asbestos

As we have referenced in this article, there is a variety of steps that can – and must – be taken to ensure the health and safety of firefighters and rescue workers is protected as effectively as possible.

While such professionals have inherently dangerous roles and not all risks can be eliminated during their work, it is crucial for employers and other stakeholders to be well-informed and proactive, putting in place realistic measures.

To learn more about our own wide-ranging asbestos services and expertise at Oracle Solutions, and to request a fast and free quote, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.