Abstract
Various types of hazardous substances are generated at fire scenes. Firefighters usually use the self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) during firefighting; however, SCBA is very inconvenient to use in other works (e.g., fire investigation and fire scene commands). Therefore, firefighters can be exposed to numerous chemicals. In this study, concentrations of hazardous gases were measured by utilizing gas analyzers with seven sensors during fire investigations. Six fire investigators measured the concentrations of hazardous gases directly as they worked. This included capturing the maximum concentrations of SO2 at seven places, HCHO at 29 places, NO2 at one place, HCN at 13 places, and CO at two places where the concentration exceeded the short-term exposure limit (STEL). When reconstruction experiments were performed, the maximum allowable concentrations for most hazardous chemicals fell below the STEL approximately 90 min after the fire occurrence. Therefore, we determined that fire investigators should wear proper respiratory protective equipment when working.
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