Zoonotic health hazards to Polish firefighters during rescue and fire-fighting operations

Abstract

Background

The profession of a firefighter is classified as a profession with a very high level of risk. Serving in Rescue and Firefighting Unit (RFU) involves participating in intervention activities, including fighting fires, removing the effects of technical failures and natural disasters, rescuing people and animals, and specialized activities.

Objective

The analysis of zoonotic health hazards to firefighters during fire and rescue operations from 2020 to 2022.

Materials and Methods

The analysis covered the data from the Human Resources Office of the State Fire Service Headquarters, from the Department of Occupational Health and Safety and Health Prevention. Data collected from all over Poland in the form of an annual analysis of the accident rate. For the purposes of further analysis and calculations, several definitions were adopted: animal evacuation, animal relocation, access to animals.

Results

In the years 2020–2022, 67 firefighter injuries of animal origin were registered: animals, birds, as well as hymenopteran insects (stings), and ticks (bites). Interventions involving animals accounted for 8.8% of all firefighter operations. An analysis was conducted to identify the most common cause (species) and location (body area) of firefighter injuries in rescue and firefighting operations with animals. The most common cause of injuries was identified (species): dog (13%), cat (31%), hymenoptera (25%) and the location of injury to firefighters (body area): hand (55%), head (16%).

Conclusions

The overall number of injuries is small compared to the number of incidents with animals, which may be related to good firefighter protection and effective procedures. To avoid zoonotic injuries to the palm area, fire trucks should be provided with a set of general-use veterinary gloves + disposable nitrile gloves that will ensure hygiene when used by many people. The interventions towards animals throughout Poland are on a large scale, which creates a health risk for firefighters, as rescued animals under stress and towards strangers behave in an unpredictable manner, adequate to a given stress reaction.