Occupational Safety in Fire Station Facilities: Risk Assessment and Control Measures at the La Maná Canton Fire Department
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63969/56vcxj91Keywords:
occupational safety, firefighters, risk assessment, facilities, control measures, safety climateAbstract
This study aimed to assess occupational safety conditions in the La Maná Fire Department building and formulate control measures according to the preventive hierarchy. An applied, quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, descriptive-evaluative field design was proposed. The study design comprised a census of 32 workers, an inspection of nine areas using a 72-requirement checklist, a 5 × 5 risk matrix, and a 30-item questionnaire. The checklist and questionnaire achieved Aiken’s V values of 0.94 and 0.92, while overall questionnaire reliability was α = 0.91. Overall compliance reached 63.9%. Thirty-eight hazards were identified: 13.2% critical, 28.9% high, 36.8% moderate, and 21.1% low. The largest gaps concerned fire protection, electrical installations, contaminated-equipment storage, signage, and emergency preparedness. The safety climate score was 68.4/100 and was inversely associated with perceived risk (rho = −0.61; p < 0.001). A control program combining engineering, administrative, training, and monitoring measures is proposed. The proposed analysis shows that an integrated assessment of infrastructure, regulatory compliance, and staff perception supports verifiable intervention priorities and institutional accountability.
Downloads
References
Asamblea Constituyente. (2008). Constitución de la República del Ecuador. https://www.asambleanacional.gob.ec/documentos/Constitucion-2008.pdf
Banks, A. P. W., Engelsman, M., He, C., Wang, X., & Mueller, J. F. (2020). The occurrence of PAHs and flame-retardants in air and dust from Australian fire stations. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 17(2–3), 73–84. https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2019.1699246
Burgess, J. L., Hoppe-Jones, C., Griffin, S. C., Zhou, J. J., Gulotta, J. J., Wallentine, D. D., Moore, P. K., Valliere, E. A., Weller, S. R., Beitel, S. C., Flahr, L. M., Littau, S. R., Dearmon-Moore, D., Zhai, J., Jung, A. M., Garavito, F., & Snyder, S. A. (2020). Evaluation of interventions to reduce firefighter exposures. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 62(4), 279–288. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000001815
Cuenca, M. F., & Ramírez-García, C. O. (2023). Occupational hazards in firefighting: Systematic literature review. Safety and Health at Work, 14(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shaw.2023.01.005
Demers, P. A., DeMarini, D. M., Fent, K. W., Glass, D. C., Hansen, J., Adetona, O., Andersen, M. H. G., Freeman, L. E. B., Caban-Martinez, A. J., Daniels, R. D., Griffin, S. C., Nöhammer, É., Pahwa, M., Poirier, M. C., Schubauer-Berigan, M. K., Smith, M. T., & Straif, K. (2022). Carcinogenicity of occupational exposure as a firefighter. The Lancet Oncology, 23(8), 985–986. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(22)00390-4
Engelsman, M., Toms, L. M. L., Banks, A. P. W., Wang, X., & Mueller, J. F. (2020). Biomonitoring in firefighters for volatile organic compounds, semivolatile organic compounds, persistent organic pollutants, and metals: A systematic review. Environmental Research, 188, Article 109562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.109562
Fent, K. W., LaGuardia, M., Luellen, D., McCormick, S., Mayer, A., Chen, I. C., Kerber, S., Smith, D. L., & Horn, G. P. (2020). Flame retardants, dioxins, and furans in air and on firefighters’ protective ensembles during controlled residential firefighting. Environment International, 140, Article 105756. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.105756
Fent, K. W., Toennis, C., Sammons, D., Robertson, S., Bertke, S., Calafat, A. M., Pleil, J. D., Geer Wallace, M. A., Kerber, S., Smith, D. L., & Horn, G. P. (2019). Firefighters’ and instructors’ absorption of PAHs and benzene during training exercises. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 222(7), 991–1000. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2019.06.006
Garcia, J., Bazzocchi, M. C. F., Fite, K., Ocampo, J. D., & Martinez, M. (2024). Review and statistical analysis of U.S. structural firefighting injuries: Their causes and effects. Fire, 7(2), Article 46. https://doi.org/10.3390/fire7020046
Geczik, A. M., Lee, J., Allen, J. A., Raposa, M. E., Robinson, L. F., Quistberg, D. A., Davis, A. L., & Taylor, J. A. (2024). An updated analysis of safety climate and downstream outcomes in two convenience samples of U.S. fire departments (FOCUS 1.0 and 2.0 survey waves). Injury Epidemiology, 11, Article 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40621-024-00502-8
Geczik, A. M., Lee, J., Davis, A. L., Allen, J. A., & Taylor, J. A. (2022). Size matters: How safety climate and downstream outcomes vary by fire department organization type. Injury Epidemiology, 9, Article 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40621-022-00373-x
Gill, B., & Britz-McKibbin, P. (2020). Biomonitoring of smoke exposure in firefighters: A review. Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health, 15, 57–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coesh.2020.04.002
Gill, R., Hurley, S., Brown, F. R., Tarrant, D. H., Dhaliwal, J., Sarala, R., Park, J. S., Patton, S., & Petreas, M. (2020). Polybrominated diphenyl ether and organophosphate flame retardants in Canadian fire station dust. Chemosphere, 253, Article 126669. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126669
Hall, S. M., Patton, S., Petreas, M., Zhang, S., Phillips, A. L., Hoffman, K., & Stapleton, H. M. (2020). Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in dust collected from residential homes and fire stations in North America. Environmental Science & Technology, 54(22), 14558–14567. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c04869
Harrison, T. R., Muhamad, J. W., Yang, F., Morgan, S. E., Talavera, E., Caban-Martinez, A., & Kobetz, E. (2018). Firefighter attitudes, norms, beliefs, barriers, and behaviors toward post-fire decontamination processes in an era of increased cancer risk. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 15(4), 279–284. https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2017.1416389
Horn, G. P., Fent, K. W., Kerber, S., & Smith, D. L. (2022). Hierarchy of contamination control in the fire service: Review of exposure control options to reduce cancer risk. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 19(9), 538–557. https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2022.2100406
International Agency for Research on Cancer. (2023). Occupational exposure as a firefighter (IARC Monographs, Vol. 132). World Health Organization. https://publications.iarc.who.int/615
International Organization for Standardization. (2018). ISO 45001:2018 Occupational health and safety management systems—Requirements with guidance for use. https://www.iso.org/standard/63787.html
Kim, J. A., Song, S. Y., Jeong, W., & Jun, J. K. (2022). Non-cancer health risks in firefighters: A systematic review. Epidemiology and Health, 44, Article e2022109. https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2022109
Mayer, A. C., Fent, K. W., Bertke, S., Horn, G. P., Smith, D. L., Kerber, S., & LaGuardia, M. J. (2019). Firefighter hood contamination: Efficiency of laundering to remove PAHs and FRs. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 16(2), 129–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2018.1540877
Mayer, A. C., Fent, K. W., Wilkinson, A., Chen, I. C., Kerber, S., Smith, D. L., Kesler, R. M., & Horn, G. P. (2022). Characterizing exposure to benzene, toluene, and naphthalene in firefighters wearing different types of new or laundered PPE. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 240, Article 113900. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2021.113900
Mayer, A. C., Horn, G. P., Fent, K. W., Bertke, S. J., Kerber, S., Kesler, R. M., Newman, H., & Smith, D. L. (2020). Impact of select PPE design elements and repeated laundering in firefighter protection from smoke exposure. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 17(11–12), 505–514. https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2020.1811869
McQuerry, M. (2020). Effect of structural turnout suit fit on female versus male firefighter range of motion. Applied Ergonomics, 82, Article 102974. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2019.102974
Ministerio del Trabajo del Ecuador. (2024). Decreto Ejecutivo 255: Reglamento de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo. https://www.trabajo.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DECRETO-EJECUTIVO-255-REGLAMENTO-DE-SEGURIDAD-Y-SALUD-DE-LOS-TRABAJADORES.pdf
Organización Internacional del Trabajo. (2024). Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate. https://www.ilo.org/publications/ensuring-safety-and-health-work-changing-climate
Ras, J., Kengne, A. P., Smith, D. L., Soteriades, E. S., & Leach, L. (2023). Association between cardiovascular disease risk factors and cardiorespiratory fitness in firefighters: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4), Article 2816. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20042816
Rogula-Kozłowska, W., Bralewska, K., Rogula-Kopiec, P., Makowski, R., Majder-Łopatka, M., Łukawski, A., Brandyk, A., & Majewski, G. (2020). Respirable particles and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at two Polish fire stations. Building and Environment, 184, Article 107255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2020.107255
Sousa, G., Teixeira, J., Delerue-Matos, C., Sarmento, B., Morais, S., Wang, X., Rodrigues, F., & Oliveira, M. (2022). Exposure to PAHs during firefighting activities: A review on skin levels, in vitro/in vivo bioavailability, and health risks. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), Article 12677. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912677
Wolffe, T. A. M., Clinton, A., Robinson, A., Turrell, L., & Stec, A. A. (2023). Contamination of UK firefighters’ personal protective equipment and workplaces. Scientific Reports, 13, Article 65. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-25741-x
Young, A. S., Sparer-Fine, E. H., Pickard, H. M., Sunderland, E. M., Peaslee, G. F., & Allen, J. G. (2021). Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and total fluorine in fire station dust. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 31(5), 930–942. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-021-00288-7
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Bryan Omar Cunuhay Pantoja (Autor/a)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Los artículos publicados en la revista se distribuyen bajo la licencia Creative Commons Atribución 4.0 Internacional (CC BY 4.0). Esta licencia permite a terceros descargar, copiar, distribuir, adaptar y reutilizar una obra, incluso con fines comerciales, siempre que se otorgue el crédito adecuado al autor original.
