Background: Firefighters regularly are put into situations during work activities that place them at a greater risk for injury and illness than the general population. Collecting objective information from incidents in the fire service is critical for monitoring carcinogenic exposure and identifying at risk personnel. In the present study, we describe the development and implementation of the Personal Exposure Reporter (PER) system for firefighters, and characterize the types of reports submitted into the PER system.\n
Methods: A user-centered design framework was leveraged to design and develop an exposure reporting system tailored to firefighters. Based on firefighter focus groups, interviews, card sorts, and usability testing, six reporting domains were created: incident fields, individual physical exposures, post-incident rehabilitation procedures, handling of safety gear, firefighter decontamination practices, and self-reported health symptoms.
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Results: A web application allowing firefighters to keep a digital record of on-the-job exposures was implemented. Since product launch, 289 exposure reports have been submitted by 152 Florida firefighters, with 2.25 reports submitted, on average, by each firefighter. Of the 266 Fire reports submitted, 154 were for residential fires, 42 for vehicle fires, 39 for commercial fires, 12 for trash/dumpsters fires, 6 for wildland fires, 4 for fire trainings, and 9 for other types. There were 132 reports of firefighters experiencing signs or symptoms from exposures at fire incidents. Headaches (21%), coughing (20%), and eyes burn (18%) were the most frequently reported symptoms across the different types of fire incidents. Other reported symptoms include throat irritation, skin irritation, rhinorrhea, and muscle cramps.
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Conclusions: Florida firefighters can voluntarily submit fire incident response information into the PER system successfully. The PER system provides firefighters with a lifelong, personal record of occupational exposures and supports occupational health and safety researchers with data to study firefighters’ exposure and health-related conditions.
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