On the 13th of October last year the Union imposed bans on members participating in Compartment Fire Behaviour Training (CFBT) after concerns were raised that the fuel used in the training may be detrimental to members health. Those bans are now lifted after the Department has agreed to implement a series of measures aimed at safeguarding member’s health.
The Department late last year engaged a firm of environmental scientists to examine firefighters exposure to toxic substances whilst undergoing CFBT. Not surprisingly that firm ‘Heggies Pty Ltd’ found that whilst ever firefighters maintained full PPE protocols inside the hot cells, they were highly unlikely to absorb, inhale or ingest the toxic substances given off by burning particle board. The testing conducted by Heggies however found that some toxic substances may remain within members structural PPE after the CFBT session has been completed.
The report drawn up by Heggies made a series of recommendations all of which the Department has now agreed to implement. These include new occupational hygiene procedures, a regular monitoring regime for CFBT instructors and a management plan for the systematic cleaning of firefighting PPE. The Department has now also agreed to a raft of changes in the way gear and equipment contamination is to be dealt with throughout the state and has agreed to roll out a major Occupational Health and Safety initiative. As such the bans imposed on CFBT are now lifted.
Simon Flynn
State Secretary
On the 13th of October last year the Union imposed bans on members participating in Compartment Fire Behaviour Training (CFBT) after concerns were raised that the fuel used in the training may be detrimental to members health. Those bans are now lifted after the Department has agreed to implement a series of measures aimed at safeguarding member’s health.
The Department late last year engaged a firm of environmental scientists to examine firefighters exposure to toxic substances whilst undergoing CFBT. Not surprisingly that firm ‘Heggies Pty Ltd’ found that whilst ever firefighters maintained full PPE protocols inside the hot cells, they were highly unlikely to absorb, inhale or ingest the toxic substances given off by burning particle board. The testing conducted by Heggies however found that some toxic substances may remain within members structural PPE after the CFBT session has been completed.
The report drawn up by Heggies made a series of recommendations all of which the Department has now agreed to implement. These include new occupational hygiene procedures, a regular monitoring regime for CFBT instructors and a management plan for the systematic cleaning of firefighting PPE. The Department has now also agreed to a raft of changes in the way gear and equipment contamination is to be dealt with throughout the state and has agreed to roll out a major Occupational Health and Safety initiative. As such the bans imposed on CFBT are now lifted.
