Chief Officer Training Curriculum

1
Chief Officer Training Curriculum

• Operations
• Module 5
• Health and Safety Officer, Laws and Standards

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Objective

• To compare health and safety laws, standards, and
  regulations to written Standard Operating
  Procedures (SOPs) for proper SOP content

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The Health and Safety Officer

• Reports to head of organization
• Trained to Fire Officer I
• Has major effect on department emergency
  operations
• Performs duties outlined in NFPA 1521
• May be full or part-time

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The Health and Safety Officer (continued)

• Volunteer departmentsHSO may be promotion and
  not chief officer
• Better not to split responsibilities
• Only one HSO

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Firefighter Injury and Deaths

• 1988 to 1992average of more than 100,000
  firefighter injuries each year
• 50 occurred on fireground
• 1977 to presentaverage of one death every 3 days
• Over 50 occur on fireground

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Firefighter Injury and Deaths (continued)

• The leading cause of firefighter deaths is heart
  disease/stress.
• 25 of stress-related deaths are less than
  40-years old

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• Ending up dead or injured at work is against the
  law!

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Health Risk Factors

• Name several health risk factors that affect
  firefighters
• On the fireground
• Long-term

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Fireground Risk Factors

• Physical fitness
• History of illnesses
• Medications

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Long-Term Risk Factors

• Smoking
• Hearing loss
• Back injuries
• Cancer

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Long-Term Risk Factors (continued)

• Hearing loss
• Hearing protection programOSHA standard
• Mandated protection for personnel on apparatus
• Baseline audiometric test
• Annual testing
• Standards in NFPA 1582

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Long-Term Risk Factors (continued)

• Back injurieslargest category of workers
  compensation injuries
• Cancerskin cancer among most common

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Firefighter Wellness Programs

• List the components of a comprehensive
  wellness program

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Firefighter Wellness Programs (continued)

• Annual physical exams
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Physical fitness program
• Infection control program

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Firefighter Wellness Programs (continued)

• What vaccinations does your department provide
  for its members?

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Firefighter Wellness Programs (continued)

• Vaccinations
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis A
• Tetanus
• Flu shot
• Measles

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Firefighter Wellness Programs (continued)

• Post-exposure exams
• Hazardous materials
• Blood or body fluids

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Firefighter Wellness Programs (continued)

• Define an EAP and list some of the components

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Firefighter Wellness Programs (continued)

• Substance abuse
• Alcoholism
• Drug addiction
• Tobacco
• Stress managementCISM
• Family relations
• Legal and financial concerns
• Health promotions

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Firefighter Wellness Programs (continued)

• Physical fitness program
• Medical screenings
• Fitness assessments
• Fitness standards
• Exercise program
• Nutrition

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Firefighter Wellness Programs (continued)

• Exposure-control plan for members at risk
• Training and education
• Engineering and work control practices
• Hepatitis B vaccination
• Medical treatment, post-exposure evaluation, and
  follow-up
• Record keeping

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Firefighter Wellness Programs (continued)

• What program or operation affects the health and
  safety of firefighters on an emergency scene?

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Firefighter Wellness Programs (continued)
Refreshment
Rest
Medical Evaluation
Treatment
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Firefighter Wellness Programs (continued)

• Provide on-scene screening process to determine
  if personnel operating in danger of collapsing
• Provide monitoring device to gauge how
  firefighters react physiologically to stress of
  operation

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Record Keeping and Documentation

• NFPA 1500, Chapter 10, paragraph 4
• Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970

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Record Keeping and Documentation (continued)

• Employee medical recordsconfidential
• Annual physical report
• Return-to-duty reports
• Workers compensation reports
• Records of vaccinations
• Exposure reports

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Record Keeping and Documentation (continued)

• Compile statistics
• Evaluate department records
• Annual injury/illness report
• Lost-time report
• Workers compensation expenses
• Medical exams/therapy expenses

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Activity 5.1
Action Plan for Health Maintenance
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Consensus Standards

• Procedure or document that can be followed
• Developed reactively
• Not mandatory unless adopted by public authority

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Consensus Standards (continued)

• NFPA
• Over 270 codes and standards
• Fire service safety and health
• Protective clothing and equipment
• Fire apparatus and equipment
• Professional qualifications
• Fire service training

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NFPA Standards

• NFPA 1500, Standard for a Fire Department
  Occupational Safety and Health Program
• NFPA 1521, Standard for a Fire Department Safety
  Officer
• NFPA 1561, Incident Management System
• NFPA 1581, Fire Department Infection Control
  Program
• NFPA 1582, Standard for Medical Requirements for
  Fire Fighters

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NFPA Standards (continued)

• Protective clothing and equipment standards
• Design criteria for fire apparatus and equipment
• Professional qualifications
• Training standards

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Federal Regulations

• OSHA
• Branch of Department of Labor Industry
• Created in 1970
• 23 states and two territories have state-operated
  programs
• Remaining states governed by Federal program,
  excluding municipal and volunteer FF

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Federal Regulations (continued)

• Regulations affecting worker safety and health
• 1910.20Medical Record Keeping
• 1910.1030Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne
  Pathogens
• NFPA 1581, Standard for Fire Department Infection
  Control Program

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Activity 5.2
Laws, Standards, and Regulations
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Standard Operating Guidelines

• Developed by department in standard format
• Affect only the department that writes and adopts
  them
• Must meet or exceed applicable laws and
  regulations

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Effect of Laws, Standards, and Regulations on
Operations

• Provide a safe and healthy work environment
• Reduction of risk and decrease in liability
• Fire chief assigns HSO as program manager

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Effect of Laws, Standards, and Regulations on
Operations (continued)

• Promotes positive image inside/outside department
• Provide basis for department SOPs
• HSO develops network that provides information on
  new issues/changes
• HSO provides this information to the department

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Module Summary

• Health risk factorsfireground and long-term
• Wellness programs
• Record keeping and documentation
• Laws, standards, and regulations