Firefighters face occupational risks, including cancer —Expert

Former President, Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Professor Kenneth Ozoilo, says firefighters face several risks directly arising from their occupation which could be physical or psychological in nature and could be long-term.

Ozoilo, a consultant trauma surgeon, Jos University Teaching Hospital, said “They are risks of physical injury such as falls, collisions, fire and burn hazards as well as other forms of physical injury.

“Exposure to burning fire also exposes them to inhalation of smoke and other toxic fumes depending on the nature of materials combusting.

“Plastics and hydrocarbons are particularly toxic to the body. These could be acute, such as inhalation injuries and carbon monoxide poisoning, or can give rise to chronic long term respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive lung disease.

“The stress of working in a high tension, high stress environment predisposes to cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and other forms of heart disease, which are chronic.

“The high tension work environment also leads to several psychological issues like acute stress reactions post-traumatic stress disorder and other behavioural disorders, which can be both long lasting and disabling.

“Some studies have shown that firefighters have increased risk of certain cancers like skin, brain and testicular tumours. They are also more prone to leukaemia.

“This arises due to long-term exposure to cancer-causing chemicals especially related to fires.”