Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month and EHS Resources in Puerto Rico to Mitigate Exposure Risks to Hazardous Substances

Each year, January is recognized as Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the U.S. Fire Administration both state that cancer is a leading cause of death among firefighters and that research suggests they are at a higher risk of certain types of cancers when compared to the general population.

Firefighters can be exposed to hundreds of different chemicals in the form of gases, vapors, and particulates, and some of these chemical substances are known or suspected to cause cancer according to NIOSH. Some of the hazardous substances are byproducts of combustion or burning, such as benzene and formaldehyde, while others come from the materials burning or in the fire debris. These may include asbestos or lead which are still commonly found in older homes and buildings.

“It’s not just firefighters that are at risk of exposure to hazardous substances related to fires,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “EMS, law enforcement and even those tasked with cleanup, repair and demolition work in fire damaged structures could be at risk. Workers in any of these professions could come into contact with chemicals by breathing them in, getting them on their skin or in their eyes, or by ingesting them.”

In Puerto Rico and throughout the region, the industrial hygiene and EHS professionals at Zimmetry Environmental support the efforts of Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month. They provide testing, training and consulting services to identify and mitigate exposure risks associated with fires and fire damaged properties.

Last year, Zimmetry sponsored an educational video about firefighters and occupational exposure risks to dermal and respirable hazards that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/_5YE-L0Z7xc

To learn more about Zimmetry Environmental and their industrial hygiene, air quality, building science, environmental and compliance services, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005 or email info@zimmetry.com .

About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals and Fortune 500 companies. The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America. The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality (IAQ), asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs and general environmental consulting services.

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail