A new report reveals that a significant number of firefighters who responded to the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 have suffered life-changing health conditions. The report calls for an urgent review and the establishment of a health-screening program similar to the one implemented for 9/11 first responders.
Ministers are facing demands for an urgent review after data from 524 firefighters who risked their lives at the 2017 disaster showed that over the first three years, 136 reported life-changing conditions. These included 11 cases of cancer, 64 respiratory diseases, 22 neurological disorders and 66 digestive illnesses.
Prof Anna Stec, a world-leading expert in toxicity who co-authored the report, found that most of the firefighters disclosing health disorders had not worn respiratory protection at all times because of urgency at the disaster, which killed 72 people. Up to 2020, the rate of digestive and respiratory disease among the firefighters who were exposed to smoke during the fire was three times as high as among those who were not, the report found. Due to be published on Friday, the report said that establishing a Grenfell firefighters’ health-screening programme similar to one established for those who served in New York after the 9/11 atrocities could cut the number of premature deaths.A programme of “rapid and comprehensive health screening, followed by prioritised treatment, similar to that used for the WTC firefighters would be very likely to reduce the incidence of premature deaths among these firefighters”, the report said. Matt Wrack, the Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said the study was “powerful evidence that firefighters were exposed to extreme levels of toxic smoke at the tower, many without any respiratory protection”. “We must learn from the aftermath of 9/11, which made it clear that enhanced health testing is vital to protecting the lives of firefighters and residents.”on 14 June 2017 was the worst in a UK residential building since the second world war. Seventy people died at the scene and two people died later in hospital. More than 70 were injured. Combustible cladding spread the fire from the exterior to most of the flats, and produced large quantities of toxic gase
Grenfell Tower Firefighters Health Issues Toxicity Review
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Former senior bureaucrat Dennis Richardson to lead urgent review into agency tasked with $368bn Aukus contractFormer senior defence and foreign affairs secretary will focus on governance in his probe of Australian Submarine Agency
Read more »
‘Extreme fire danger’: Victorians warned to prepare as CFA declares total fire bansVictorians are being urged not to be complacent about the “extreme fire danger” conditions that have led the Country Fire Authority to declare total fire bans across most of the state.
Read more »
Mental health system a 'nightmare' for vulnerable Australians and needs urgent fixes, AMA warnsThe Australian Medical Association is ringing the alarm on the state of the nation’s mental health system as workforce shortages in the field of psychiatry leave vulnerable patients in limbo.
Read more »
NSW government vows 'urgent' law reform to ban protests outside places of worshipThe announcement comes after a protest outside Sydney's Great Synagogue during an event on behalf of Israel's Technion University, which forced the venue to be locked down.
Read more »
Urgent warning for commuters in Sydney as trains cancelled, delayed and timetables disrupted because industrial action7NEWS brings you the latest local news from Australia and around the world. Stay up to date with all of the breaking sport, politics, entertainment, finance, weather and business headlines. Today's news, live updates & all the latest breaking stories from 7NEWS.
Read more »
Urgent investigation underway after infectious virus samples go missing from Queensland laboratoryVials containing three types of infectious virus from an Australian lab remain unaccounted for in a serious biosecurity breach.
Read more »