[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 134 (Wednesday, July 14, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40845-40846]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-17171]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Docket Number NIOSH 141-A]
Preventing Deaths and Injuries of Fire Fighters Using Risk
Management Principles at Structure Fires
AGENCY: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice of issuance of Final Guidance Publication.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
announces the availability of the publication entitled ``Preventing
Deaths and Injuries of Fire Fighters Using Risk Management Principles
at Structure Fires.''
The final document can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2010-153/.
Background and Summary of Document: NIOSH has developed this
publication to assist the U.S. fire service in preventing fire fighter
injuries and deaths at structure fires. Established fire service risk
management principles suggest that caution should be exercised in
abandoned, vacant and unoccupied structures and in situations where
there is no clear evidence indicating that people are trapped inside
the structure and can be saved. This publication summarizes fatality
statistics from the National Fire Protection Association as well as the
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program
(FFFIPP) databases. The publication describes four case studies on the
deaths of five fire fighters and injuries to 10 others during fire
suppression operations in and around structures with considerable fire
involvement where there were indications that the structures were
unoccupied. The publication presents a number of recommendations for
preventing similar occurrences of fire fighter injuries and deaths. The
primary audiences are expected to be fire commissioners, fire chiefs,
fire department and municipal managers, fire fighters, labor unions,
safety and health professionals, trainers, fire investigators, State
fire marshals, and other interested parties.
This guidance publication does not have the force and effect of
law.
Document Review Process: Following development of the initial
draft, the document was reviewed by peers and external stakeholders
within the fire service and revisions were made based upon these
reviews. The revised draft document was posted in the Federal Register
for public review and comment from January 5 to March 9, 2009. Public
comments submitted to NIOSH Public Docket 141 can be viewed at the Web
site http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docket/nioshdocket0141.html. The draft
document was revised to address these public comments. The most
substantive revisions were to change the title and focus of the
document from fighting fires in unoccupied structures to using
established risk management principles at all structure fires,
regardless of the occupancy status. The majority of comments received
during the public comment period made it clear that the U.S. fire
service would not support the recommendation that fire fighters avoid
entering unoccupied structures, the focus of the original draft. A
final draft containing revisions made to address comments received
during the public comment period was reviewed by representatives from
both the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the
International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy R. Merinar, Safety Engineer,
Division of Safety Research, CDC/
[[Page 40846]]
NIOSH, 1095 Willowdale Road, H1808, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505,
Phone 304-285-5916, e-mail [email protected].
Reference: Web address for this document: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2010-153/.
Dated: July 7, 2010.
John Howard,
Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2010-17171 Filed 7-13-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-19-P