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Firefighters’ Gear and Asbestos Exposure

Alphabetical by:

COMPANY NAME

Exposure by:

COMPANY TYPE

Exposure by:

OCCUPATION

Exposure by:

STATE

Company Name Company Type Occupation State

Firefighters’ protective gear no longer contains asbestos. But firefighters may have their turnout gear coated with toxic asbestos dust while battling a fire or moving about in a fire-damaged structure. Many older houses and buildings contain asbestos insulation or other materials that may release asbestos fibers when disturbed. In addition, individuals who worked as firefighters in the 1960s or 1970s may have worn asbestos-containing turnout gear and been exposed to asbestos fibers as the gear became worn.

Firefighters Exposed to Asbestos on Their Gear

Firefighters must quickly respond to many situations that expose them to respiratory hazards, including asbestos and cancer-causing compounds and chemicals produced as a byproduct of fire. Federal work safety standards require that firefighters entering a fire scene wear a self-contained breathing apparatus or SCBA to prevent harmful exposures. The air pack, if properly fitted, should minimize the firefighter’s exposure to respiratory hazards during the blaze itself. But once the firefighter removes the air pack, a firefighter may be exposed to inhaling asbestos dust left on their protective clothing if all gear has not been thoroughly decontaminated beforehand.

From the decades after World War II through the 1970s when asbestos use peaked, the protective gear worn by firefighters such as coats, gloves and helmets often contained asbestos fibers for added heat resistance and durability. Firefighters wore asbestos gloves to protect their hands from the high temperatures of intense fires. The gloves contained a high percentage of asbestos fiber and are fire resistant. But as the gloves age, they may become more brittle and release asbestos fibers when worn.

In addition to inhaling the contaminants in smoke before respirators were in common use, firefighters  may have been exposed to asbestos in their safety equipment.

Today, firefighters’ protective gear does not contain asbestos. But individuals who worked as firefighters in the 1960s or 1970s may have worn asbestos-containing turnout gear and been exposed to asbestos fibers as the gear became worn. Firefighters exposed to asbestos decades ago may only recently have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or started noticing symptoms of asbestos disease because the disease is slow to develop.