9 WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM YOUR PPE

9 Ways to Protect Yourself from Your PPE

A firefighter in full PPE looks, and sometimes feels, invincible. Yet, we know they are not invincible. A working structure fire is a highly dangerous and dynamic environment. There is a lot going on that can harm firefighters. Ironically, the very gear we wear to protect ourselves in that environment plays hosts to compounds that are killing more firefighters than are floor collapses and flashovers.

Researchers know the compounds in the smoke and gas byproducts of combustion stick to firefighter PPE and increase their chances of contracting cancer by being inhaled into the body or absorbed through the skin. Researchers also know that proper cleaning and isolation of PPE can dramatically reduce the cancer risks.

Here are 9 steps to protect yourself from your protective gear.