PPE of utmost importance to emergency responders

A recently released RAND Corp. study proposes improved personal protective equipment to protect emergency responders from the chemical, biological and physical hazards following the collapse of large buildings.

The study was conducted after hundreds of emergency workers were permanently disabled from exposure at Ground Zero after the World Trade Center collapsed on 9/11.

“The most challenging risks emergency responders need protection from are hazardous chemicals they could inhale,” said Henry Willis, a RAND researcher. “The hazards following the collapse of a large multi-story building are larger and more uncertain, and the duration of the response is much longer than usual.”

The guidelines recommend that:
* air-purifying respirators should be available to emergency responders; the respirators use cartridges, weigh less and last longer than standard firefighter gear that uses an air tank
* responders who will be treating victims or handling human remains should wear gloves, clothing and eye and face protection to protect themselves from bloodborne pathogens.
* individuals without respiratory protection who are exposed to the dust cloud from a building collapse should be removed from the site and given medical treatment.
* responders without protective equipment should not be allowed to enter hazardous areas on a building collapse site.