Physical Standards / Requirements

[Remember585 815]

I'm looking for some help.

I know the NFPA and OSHA have their standards / recommendations for firefighter physical standards and requirements.

Where can I find some (free) literature on this?

Can anyone cite actual NFPA and/or OSHA wording on these matters?

Also - in the event a firefighter has sustained a heart attack or other medical condition and their Doctor has cleared them for full duty, can they return to duty?

Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks.

[RWC130 594]

Data from the NIOSH CVD Investigations:

Medical Evaluations

Of the 131 fire departments where NIOSH investigated a cardiovascular disease (CVD) fatality, 93 (71%) performed candidate medical evaluations. However, only 41 (31%) conducted annual, or even periodic, medical evaluations for all members participating in fire suppression. Fire departments not providing candidate and member medical evaluations are not following the recommendations of NFPA, and the fire service management and union organizations, which support mandatory post-offer/pre-placement medical evaluations for candidates and annual medical evaluations for members [iAFF/IAFC 1997, NFPA 2000, NFPA 2007].

Medical Clearance

One-hundred-five (80%) of the 131 fire departments where NIOSH investigated a CVD fatality required a return-to-work clearance after an injury or illness. Over half of these fire departments (61/105 or 58%) allowed the fire fighter’s personal physician to make the return-to-work determination. Allowing a fire fighter’s personal physician to make this determination can be problematic for two reasons. First, primary care physicians may not be familiar with the heavy physical demands of fire fighting or their potential for hazardous exposures. Second, they may not be aware of the consensus medical guidelines developed by fire service medical experts. Therefore, fire departments should either Provide the consensus medical guidelines and the physical and aerobic requirements of the job to the primary care physician; or Require the fire department physician review return-to-duty clearances. [NFPA 2007].

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2007-133/#current

I hope that helps!

[DCJPells 29]

I'm looking for some help.

I know the NFPA and OSHA have their standards / recommendations for firefighter physical standards and requirements.

Where can I find some (free) literature on this?

Can anyone cite actual NFPA and/or OSHA wording on these matters?

Also - in the event a firefighter has sustained a heart attack or other medical condition and their Doctor has cleared them for full duty, can they return to duty?

Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks.

Part of NFPA 1582

5.1 Essential Job Tasks and Descriptions.

5.1.1 The fire department shall evaluate the following 13 essential job tasks against the types and levels of emergency services provided to the local community by the fire department, the types of structures and occupancies comprising the community, and the configuration of the fire department to determine the essential job tasks of fire department members and candidates:

(1)* Performing fire-fighting tasks (e.g., hoseline operations, extensive crawling, lifting and carrying heavy objects, ventilating roofs or walls using power or hand tools, forcible entry), rescue operations, and other emergency response actions under stressful conditions while wearing personal protective ensembles and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), including working in extremely hot or cold environments for prolonged time periods

(2) Wearing an SCBA, which includes a demand valve–type positive-pressure facepiece or HEPA filter masks, which requires the ability to tolerate increased respiratory workloads

(3) Exposure to toxic fumes, irritants, particulates, biological (infectious) and nonbiological hazards, and/or heated gases, despite the use of personal protective ensembles and SCBA

(4) Depending on the local jurisdiction, climbing six or more flights of stairs while wearing fire protective ensemble weighing at least 50 lb (22.6 kg) or more and carrying equipment/tools weighing an additional 20 to 40 lb (9 to 18 kg)

(5) Wearing fire protective ensemble that is encapsulating and insulated, which will result in significant fluid loss that frequently progresses to clinical dehydration and can elevate core temperature to levels exceeding 102.2°F (39°C)

(6) Searching, finding, and rescue-dragging or carrying victims ranging from newborns up to adults weighing over 200 lb (90 kg) to safety despite hazardous conditions and low visibility

(7) Advancing water-filled hoselines up to 2 in. (65 mm) in diameter from fire apparatus to occupancy [approximately 150 ft (50 m)], which can involve negotiating multiple flights of stairs, ladders, and other obstacles

(8) Climbing ladders, operating from heights, walking or crawling in the dark along narrow and uneven surfaces, and operating in proximity to electrical power lines and/or other hazards

(9) Unpredictable emergency requirements for prolonged periods of extreme physical exertion without benefit of warm-up, scheduled rest periods, meals, access to medication(s), or hydration

(10) Operating fire apparatus or other vehicles in an emergency mode with emergency lights and sirens

(11) Critical, time-sensitive, complex problem solving during physical exertion in stressful, hazardous environments, including hot, dark, tightly enclosed spaces, that is further aggravated by fatigue, flashing lights, sirens, and other distractions

(12) Ability to communicate (give and comprehend verbal orders) while wearing personal protective ensembles and SCBA under conditions of high background noise, poor visibility, and drenching from hoselines and/or fixed protection systems (sprinklers)

(13) Functioning as an integral component of a team, where sudden incapacitation of a member can result in mission failure or in risk of injury or death to civilians or other team members

5.1.2 The fire department physician shall consider the physical, physiological, intellectual, and psychological demands of the occupation when evaluating the candidate's or member's ability to perform the essential job tasks.

5.1.3 Medical requirements for candidates and members shall be correlated with the essential job tasks as determined by 5.1.1.

5.1.4 The fire department shall provide the fire department physician with the list of essential job tasks to be used in the medical evaluation of members and candidates.

5.2 Essential Job Tasks for Specialized Teams.

5.2.1 If the fire department operates specialized teams such as hazardous materials units, self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) teams, technical rescue teams, emergency medical services (EMS) teams, or units supporting tactical law enforcement operations, the fire department shall identify for each team it operates additional essential job tasks not specified in 5.1.1(1) through 5.1.1(13) that would apply to the members of that team.

5.2.2 The fire department shall provide the fire department physician with the list of essential job tasks specific to each specialized team.

5.2.3 When performing the medical evaluation of members of a specialized team, the fire department physician shall consider the following:

(1) Additional medical and/or physical requirements that are related to the job tasks being performed by the team that are not enumerated in this standard

(2) The impact on the member of having to wear or utilize specialized personal protective equipment (PPE) that can increase weight, environmental isolation, sensory deprivation, and/or dehydration potential above levels experienced with standard fire suppression PPE

6.2 Medical Conditions Affecting Ability to Safely Perform Essential Job Tasks.

6.2.1 Medical conditions that can affect a candidate's ability to safely perform essential job tasks shall be designated either Category A or Category B.

6.2.2 Candidates with Category A medical conditions shall not be certified as meeting the medical requirements of this standard.

6.9 Heart and Vascular System.

6.9.1 Heart.

6.9.1.1 Category A medical conditions shall include the following:

(1)* Coronary artery disease, including history of myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, coronary artery bypass surgery, coronary angioplasty, and similar procedures

OSHA is vague and conflits with NFPA in the physician certification

1910.156((2)

Personnel. The employer shall assure that employees who are expected to do interior structural fire fighting are physically capable of performing duties which may be assigned to them during emergencies. The employer shall not permit employees with known heart disease, epilepsy, or emphysema, to participate in fire brigade emergency activities unless a physician's certificate of the employees' fitness to participate in such activities is provided.

1910.134(e)

Medical evaluation. Using a respirator may place a physiological burden on employees that varies with the type of respirator worn, the job and workplace conditions in which the respirator is used, and the medical status of the employee. Accordingly, this paragraph specifies the minimum requirements for medical evaluation that employers must implement to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator.

1910.134(e)(1)

General. The employer shall provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee is fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace. The employer may discontinue an employee's medical evaluations when the employee is no longer required to use a respirator.