Fire Investigator Health And Safety Best Practices
Fire InvestigatorHealth and SafetyBest PracticesSecond EditionMay 4, 2020The International Association of Arson Investigators, Inc.Health & Safety Committee1
Table of ContentsWhat’s New in this Edition . 3Health & Safety Committee Members . 6Introduction . 8Background . 10Health Hazards . 10Research . 11Discussion. 13Related Activities. 14Part I – Fire Investigator Health and Safety Best Practices . 15Section 1.0 Employers . 15Section 2.0 Vehicles . 16Section 3.0 Individual Fire Investigators . 163.1Before Going, Enroute to, and Arriving at the Incident . 173.2During the Incident . 183.3After the Incident. 20Section 4.0 Training. 21Appendix A – Respiratory Protection Guidelines . 27Maintenance and Cleaning . 30Program Administration. 30Appendix B – Decontamination Procedures. 31Crime Scene Decon and PPE Doffing Procedures . 31Hot Zone A & B PPE Decon and Doffing . 32Warm and Cold Zone PPE Decon and Doffing . 33Appendix C - Comprehensive Physical Exam Letter . 35Index . 37References . 39 2020 The International Association of Arson Investigators, Inc. All rights reserved.2
What’s New in this EditionThe groundbreaking first edition of Best Practices published in June 2018 contained a lot of importantinformation for fire investigators, but we had to draw a line in the sand regarding content to get it outthe door. This second edition includes updates, additions, and enhancements that improve theoverall content, including: Adding a table of contents, index, and list of references Adding introductory, explanatory, and background material Adding training recommendations Enhancing the vehicle section to address investigator vehicles and examined vehicles Numbering the best practice recommendations to make them easier to reference and cite Additional recommendations to help improve fire investigator health and safety Additional explanatory footnotes A revised respiratory protection minimum recommendation Revised decontamination procedures Improving the overall look of the document, including the addition of photos and graphicsFigure 1 - Lithium battery test burn while wearing proper PPE, includinga powered air purifying respirator. Credit: Dr. Peter Mansi.3
TODAY’S FIRE SCENE IS NOT LIKE YESTERDAY’S. AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THEHAZARDS FIRE INVESTIGATORS ARE EXPOSED TO, IT BECOMES VITALLYIMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE HEALTH AND SAFETY BEST PRACTICES ALLFIRE INVESTIGATORS SHOULD BE FOLLOWING.WHILE IT IS RECOGNIZED AND UNDERSTOOD THAT EVERY FIRE SCENE ISDIFFERENT, THE HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH FIRE SCENES ARE BROADBASED AND APPLY TO MOST EVERY FIRE SITUATION.This edition of Fire Investigator Health and Safety Best Practices was prepared by the Health &Safety Committee of the International Association of Arson Investigators, Inc. (IAAI), its advisorypanel of subject matter experts and other technical advisors. It has been reviewed and approvedfor publication by the IAAI Training & Education Committee and the IAAI Executive Board.Correspondence regarding this document should be sent to:iaai-safety@firearson.com4
The International Association of Arson Investigators, Inc. does not endorse specificproducts for fire investigators. By necessity, this document does describe certain producttypes or specifications.Figure 2 - Properly attired public fire investigator formost fire scenes. Credit: Mesa, AZ Fire & MedicalDepartment.Figure 3 - Properly attired private fireinvestigator for most fire scenes. Credit IAAI.5
Health & Safety Committee Members:Chairman: Jeff Pauley IAAI-CFI and FIT, CFEI, MIFireE, Fire Investigator, EFI Global, Inc.; Partner/COOand Fire Group Manager, Pacific Pointe Consulting, Inc.; retired Bedford County (VA) Fire & RescueBattalion Chief/Fire MarshalCo-Chair: Dr. Peter Mansi Ph.D., Eng Tech, IAAI-CFI and ECT, FIFireE, FFireInv, MCSFS, Partner, FireInvestigations UK; retired London Fire Brigade Borough Commander and Group Manager of the Fireand Arson Investigation Unit; IAAI Past PresidentDevin Palmer SSA/CFI, ATF/NCETR, IAAI Director LiaisonCaptain Michael Brewer IAAI-CFI, Fire Investigations Manager, Mesa (AZ) Fire & Medical DepartmentDonald Brucker CFEI and CVFI, Chief Deputy Fire Marshal, Allegheny County (PA) Fire Marshal's OfficeJames Caton IAAI-CFI, CFEI, CVFI, Senior Fire Investigator, Donan Engineering, LLCLieutenant Scott Ebbert CFEI, Baltimore County (MD) Fire Department, Safety DivisionBrian Gordon CFEI, Palm Beach County (FL) Fire Rescue, Bomb and Arson UnitGary Hodson IAAI-CFI and ECT, Senior Fire Investigator, EFI Global, Inc.; retired Provo, UT PoliceDepartment InvestigatorCaptain Bryan Lewis MSN, Fire Investigator, Dutchess County (NY) Department of EmergencyResponseTom Mooney IAAI-CFI and FIT, Deputy Fire Marshal II, Tualatin Valley (OR) Fire & RescueCaptain Karl Morgan MCJ, Division of Investigative & Forensic Services, Bureau of Fire, Arson, andExplosives Investigations, Office of Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, Florida Department ofFinancial ServicesMike Stoddard MEng., IAAI-CFI, CFEI, Senior Fire Analyst, Wright Group, Inc.Advisory Panel:Dr. Jeff Burgess, Associate Dean for Research and Professor, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College ofPublic Health, University of ArizonaDr. Alberto Caban-Martinez, Assistant Professor, Division of Environment & Public Health, Univ. ofMiami, Miller School of MedicineMiriam Calkins Ph.D. MS, CDC/NIOSH/Division of Field Studies and Engineering – Field ResearchBranchCindy Ell, President, Fire Fighter Cancer Foundation, Inc.Kenny Fent Ph.D., Research Industrial Hygienist, Team Lead for the National Firefighter RegistryProgram, CDC/NIOSH/Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies6
A special thanks to these additional subject matter experts who assisted with the contentdevelopment and technical review of this second edition:Barbara Millet Ph.D., Director of the User Experience Lab, Assistant Professor of Interactive Media,Department of Cinema & Interactive Media, School of Communication, University of MiamiHeidi Sewchok MPH, Physical Scientist, NIOSH, National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory,CVSDB, and Secretary/Treasurer, International Respiratory Protection Society – AmericasVicki Sheppard, co-chair of the statewide F.A.C.E. Team (Firefighters Attacking the Cancer Epidemic)of the Florida Firefighters Safety & Health Collaborative and retired division chief, Training & SafetyDivision, Palm Beach County (FL) Fire RescueFigure 4 Private fire investigation team working in the post-fire environment. Credit: Kevin HaysFire Consulting, LLC.7
IntroductionBy necessity, this document includes manyfootnotes and appendices to further explaincertain items. Please take the time to readand understand all the information in thispaper.In recent years, research regarding fire investigatorhealth and safety, and the resulting practicechanges, has not kept pace with that of firefightersand, while some information can be brought fromthe firefighter environment to that of the fireinvestigator, some cannot. In 2016 the InternationalAssociation of Arson Investigators (IAAI) reestablished its Health & Safety Committee with amission “to promote health and safety knowledge,awareness, discussion, and action among membersof the IAAI, its chapters, and the fire investigationcommunity in general.” One of the first steps in thisprocess was to conduct a benchmark survey todetermine the current state of knowledge,awareness, and practices. 1National Institute for Occupational Safety andHealth’s National Personal Protection TechnologyLaboratory, clinical researchers, and other subjectmatter experts.While parts of this document refer to standards ofthe U.S. Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration (OSHA) and the U.K. Health andSafety Executive (HSE), this is not by any means aprimer on government standards and regulations asthey apply to the post-fire environment. Readersshould review the applicable OSHA standards foundin Subpart I of Part 1910 for the full informationregarding personal protective equipment, and anyother relevant sections of the OSHA GeneralIndustry standards or the corresponding HSEstandards.The next step was to develop this first of its kind,peer, technical, and administratively reviewed bestpractices white paper to help ensure the health andsafety of all who attend fire scenes. Based on themost current research and information available, itidentifies the practices that fire investigators andfire investigation companies/agencies/entitiesshould be following.This paper can also serve as a training guide andpolicy template for companies/agencies/entitiesthat wish to follow the latest fire investigator healthand safety best practice guidelines. Fire investigatorhealth and safety is a dynamic subject area. As newinformation becomes available, this document willbe updated to provide a concise resource of thelatest information regarding fire investigator healthand safety.Governments can have a difficult timeimplementing new standards and amending existingones. This means that some U.S. OSHA standardsare still based on research data from the 1960s and1970s. Understanding the shortfalls of some ofOSHA’s regulations can help readers understand theimportance of occasionally going beyond what is theregulatory minimum. This approach is sometimescalled best practices. For this reason, and becausethe recommendations herein outpace research sothat adequate protection can be taken, the IAAI hasdeveloped this best practice document. Some U.S.OSHA material is presented in this document asthings that should be done, in keeping with theconventions throughout, even though compliancewith the regulation may be required. U.S.agencies/companies that must comply with OSHA,The first edition of this document representedalmost two years of work by members of the IAAIHealth & Safety Committee, assisted by a panel ofsubject matter experts. This second edition includesnew and updated information on this continuallyevolving subject. It also contains technicalinformation provided by the staff of the U.S.1The benchmark survey results and supportingdocumentation are available at www.iaaiwhitepaper.com8
and agencies/companies in other countries thatfollow HSE guidance, should review the actualregulations.While this is a stand-alone document, companiontraining is provided by the committee through anIAAI-approved presentation that includes ions and the hazards present at postfire scenes. For information on this training, pleasecontact iaai-safety@firearson.com.Like NFPA 921, [1] this document is a guide thatprovides the latest health and safety best practicesinformation for fire investigators. It is a tool forvoluntary use by individuals, companies, andorganizations that want to minimize the risk of harmby using effective safety practices.This paper is supported by an Infographic, aRespiratory Protection Fact Sheet, Best PracticesQuick Facts, and a Fire Investigator Physical Examletter. All IAAI Health and Safety-related documentsare at www.iaaiwhitepaper.comThe guidelines in this paper also apply to any entityproviding fire investigator training and live burns,including burn cells conducted for training ordemonstration purposes. A new subsection ontraining was added to Part rds, documents, and agencies, ards and documents. Readersfrom other countries should refer to the similarappropriate items for their country or, if none exist,use the U.S. or U.K. ones for reference.Achieving the committee’s goal of improving theoverall health and safety of fire investigators willrequire a fundamental culture change within thefire investigation profession. Changing culture is notan easy task. However, whether you are a public fireinvestigator, a privately employed fire investigatoror another interested party, there is something wecan all do that is simple and could easily be the mostsignificant shift yet toward that culture of safetyenvisioned in the first Firefighter Life SafetyInitiative [2]: Define and advocate the need for acultural change within the fire service relating tosafety, incorporating leadership, sponsibility. To achieve this, we must changeattitudes and beliefs.All listed website links were valid as of thepublication date. The committee and the IAAI arenot responsible for any broken links after the dateof publication.References and citations are listed within thisdocument. In some cases, this material is based onthe best practice recommendations of the advisorypanel or other subject matter experts.Adopting the practices identified in this papersimultaneously may be difficult. Still, small changesinitiated over time, including the addition of newsafety practices and procedures, will lead tosignificant health and safety improvements and seta positive example for our colleagues [3].OUR GOAL IS TO FOSTER A CULTUREWHERE ALL EMPLOYERS AND FIREIt is understood and acknowledged that every firescene is different, and no recommendation madehere is absolute. These are all recommendations onhow best to do things in most situations based onthe unique situation found by the fire investigatorupon arrival at the scene.INVESTIGATORS COMMIT TO A SAFEAND HEALTHY WORKPLACEENVIRONMENT.9
Health HazardsBackgroundIn addition to all the physical and environmentalhazards that can be present at fire scenes (see NFPA921 for additional information), fire investigatorsalso need to be aware of the biologic and toxichazards that may be present.Even though the first edition of this document,published in June 2018, has started to turn the tide,fire investigator health and safety continues to beone of the most neglected areas of trainingthroughout the fire investigation community; feworganizations consider it a priority [4]. The IAAI iscommitted to changing this. Through a resolutionadopted by its executive board in September 2018the IAAI: Has taken a position of supporting, enhancingand educating its members regarding the latestresearch information and best practicesregarding fire investigator health and safetymatters throughout all its activities, efforts andpublications; Urges every committee to incorporate, wherepractical, health and safety awareness throughtheir publications and activities utilizinginformation provided by the IAAI Health &Safety Committee and approved by theexecutive board; Urges each chapter to embrace and educate itsmembers on fire investigator health and safetymatters through their activities, efforts, andpublications, utilizing the educational materialsapproved and provided by the IAAI; and Urges every member to follow the health andsafety best practices information supplied bythe IAAI.Biologic hazards may come from human and animalbodies, poisonous plants, bug and animal bites, andmold. These hazards can usually be mitigated by theeffective use of proper personal protectiveequipment (PPE).While the above hazards/conditions must beconsidered during a scene safety assessment, theyare present, or they are not. Toxic hazards, on theother hand, are present at every fire scene (forest,brush, crop, structure, vehicle, trash). While firesare typically short-duration events, the chronicexposure effects can have a long-term healthimpact on those involved.The primary toxic hazards are from the many gasesand vapors contained in the smoke and the firedebris, as well as skin exposure to products ofcombustion. Smoke consists of invisible vapors andgases, visible particulates, andinvisiblenanoparticulates2 , and all are hazardous to fireinvestigator health.Fire debris also contains many different chemicals,gases, and particulates that are hazardous. Duringand immediately after a fire, there are many firegases present. But after the fire, and often for aconsiderable time after, there are particulates,nanoparticulates, vapors and gases present that canbe a threat to the fire investigator. While much hasbeen written in the last ten years about the effectsof these toxic gases on firefighters, not enough hasbeen said about their impact on fire investigators.“There are many hazardous chemicalsin the post-fire environment, and howthey combine to form otherhazardous compounds is presentlyunknown.”Miriam Calkins, Ph.D. CDC/NIOSHA 2010 study by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.found that “99 % of smoke particles collected2absorption can occur. They can also enter the body throughdermal absorption. In most instances, references in this paperto particulates includes nanoparticulates.Particulates that are 5 micrometers or microns in size.These are invisible to the naked eye and can penetrate deepinto the lungs through inhalation where clearance mechanismsare less effective and where inflammation and systemic10
during overhaul were less than 1 micron indiameter. Of these 97 % were too small to bevisible by the naked eye suggesting that ‘clean’ airwas not really that clean.” [5] Thesenanoparticulates persist through the fireinvestigation stage and beyond.Fires in these struc
hazards fire investigators are exposed to, it becomes vitally important to understand the health and safety best practices all fire investigators should be following. while it is recognized and understood that every fire scene is different, the health risks associated with fire scenes are broad-
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social or cultural context (livelihoods, festivals, traditional, conflict) and perhaps regulatory framework (permit fires, illegal fires). The terms include fires, wildfires, wildland fire, forest fire, grass fire, scrub fire, brush fire, bush fire, veldt fire, rural fire, vegetation fire and so on (IUFRO 2018). The European Forest Fire
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