Practical Application of Risk Assessment for the Firefighter Workplace

The profession of firefighter is very interesting, diverse, dynamic, and at times also very demanding. It is wonderful to see when you can help people and see their satisfied faces whilst you are saving their lives and property. At all these interventions, whether it be a traffic accident, firefighting, accidents involving hazardous substances, the firefighter uses specific equipment and tools. In the risk assessment for the identified hazards present at the workplace under consideration, risk level 4 was determined for injuries and health impairments. Therefore, one of the measures is that periodic health examinations must be carried out every three years.

Problem

The profession of firefighter is very interesting, diverse, dynamic, and at times also very demanding. It is wonderful to see when you can help people and see their satisfied faces whilst you are saving their lives and property. However, there are also difficult, tragic moments when rescuing in severe traffic accidents where there are fatalities, and even worse when there are fires where flats and houses burn down and children are involved.

Solution and Method

At all these interventions, whether it be a traffic accident, firefighting, accidents involving hazardous substances, the firefighter uses specific equipment and tools. In order to return from all interventions alive, healthy and uninjured, it is very important that this equipment is appropriately selected and that it meets the criteria and specific standards. Therefore, the decision was made to carry out a workplace risk assessment in which the measures necessary to reduce risk would be determined, and on the basis of the risk assessment to determine appropriate, suitable, protective personal protective equipment.

The work of a firefighter does not only take place at interventions; the firefighter also performs other tasks such as servicing fire extinguishers, servicing pumps, maintaining firefighting tools and equipment, taking care of prevention, managing and maintaining work documentation and prescribed records. The author in the diploma thesis has presented personal protective equipment in general, which is also used by workers in other professions; it is divided into three categories and must be manufactured in accordance with requirements. The author in the diploma thesis has fulfilled the objectives that were set.

A risk assessment was carried out, the necessary measures were determined and appropriate, correct personal protective equipment was selected. The elements of risk are described, how to carry out a risk analysis, and the difference between the level or severity of potential damage and the probability that this damage or health impairment will occur at all is described. The professional fire brigade unit was presented, the vehicles which are used at the most common interventions are described – the purpose of these vehicles, their equipment, and the most common interventions in which the professional fire brigade unit participates are briefly described – procedures and actions in the event of various interventions.

Operational procedures for work in different situations are also described.

Results

In the risk assessment for the identified hazards present at the workplace under consideration, risk level 4 was determined for injuries and health impairments. Therefore, one of the measures is that periodic health examinations must be carried out every three years. The risk assessment showed that firefighters at interventions are occasionally exposed to unpredictable dangerous situations which may be caused by fire, explosion or other mechanical hazards during technical rescue at traffic accidents, and that firefighters are exposed to greater physical strain and forced posture, falls from height, and trips and slips.

The rapid development of technology is also evident in firefighting. On the one hand, it enables the relief of firefighters and improvement of working conditions, whilst on the other hand it brings new hazards because it requires increasingly specific knowledge and competence from the firefighter. Regular training, supervision of the implementation of safety measures and psychophysical fitness play an important role in the safety of firefighters.

Only in this way can they carry out their work as safely as possible. Although all personal protective equipment used meets the prescribed standards and criteria, firefighters occasionally complain about certain deficiencies in personal protective equipment. Firefighters complain mainly about protective footwear and gloves for technical rescue; therefore, it is proposed that other suitable footwear and gloves for technical rescue be tested and the best ones selected.

Since the author is also employed in a fire brigade unit as a professional firefighter, whilst reading diverse literature in the field of occupational safety and health and writing the diploma thesis, it was discovered how deficient the knowledge in this field was and how many legal sources regulate the field of occupational safety and health. In order for the risk assessment to achieve its objective, all those who participate in it must clearly understand the meaning and role of risk assessment and the procedure used for risk assessment. The latter must be a reflection of the actual situation, which should also be the guiding principle in risk assessment.