In collaboration with the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and Skidmore College, UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) has developed “Personal Protective Equipment: Limitations and Factors that Impact Performance,” an online training course to increase awareness of protective characteristics of PPE and potential impacts of cleaning and doffing practices so that firefighters may better protect themselves and reduce chemical exposures on the fireground.
After taking this course, firefighters will be able to:
- Compare how different hood designs affect the protection provided to the head and neck from fireground contaminants.
- Describe the effects of cleaning on the protective properties of PPE.
- Explain how contaminants break through interfaces in PPE to reach clothing and skin.
The information shared in this course is based off the findings from the PPE Interface Study that builds off of the IFSI-FSRI-NIOSH research conducted during the “Cardiovascular and Chemical Exposure Risks in the Fire Service” project. Through this study our team has evaluated the impact of repeated cleaning of firefighter PPE along with PPE interface design on smoke exposure (gas and particulate) using mannequin and human subject testing. Learn more about the research behind this training here. This project was funded through a grant to IFSI from the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program.
