Firefighters Are Much More Likely To Die From Cancer, Heart Attacks, And Stroke Than The General Population, New Research Has Found

PictureArt - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
PictureArt - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual person

A recent study commissioned by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) in the U.K. has found that firefighters are not just putting themselves in harm’s way of flames but also fatal health risks.

The study was independently conducted by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in England and revealed that firefighters have a mortality rate that is 1.6 times greater for all cancers than the general population.

The same research found that these first responders are also dying from heart attacks at five times the rate of the public, as well as strokes at nearly three times the general population’s rate.

UCLan Professor Anna Stec led the study and obtained mortality records through the National Records of Scotland.

However, the results of this research are still relevant to the rest of the United Kingdom, given that Scottish firefighters face the same conditions and carry out the same operational procedures as the rest of the U.K.

Certain types of cancers were also found to have much higher mortality rates among firefighters. Firefighters with prostate cancer had a mortality rate that was 3.8 times higher.

Similarly, those with leukemia showed a mortality rate of 3.17 times higher, and firefighters with esophageal cancer had a mortality rate of 2.42 times higher.

Finally, among cases in which cancer from an unknown origin spread, the mortality rate was an alarming 6.37 times higher than the public.

Various exposures and fire toxins have been linked to several cancer types, which explains why Scottish firefighters showed an excess of cancer mortality.

PictureArt – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person

For instance, esophageal and digestive organ cancers suggest that ingestion– which can occur when firefighters swallow mucus with entrapped fire effluent– is a significant risk factor.

Likewise, higher leukemia mortality rates have been linked to other chemical exposures, such as skin contact or inhalation of benzene.

This led the researchers to conclude that urgent actions need to be taken– including the reduction of contaminant exposures at work, health monitoring for all firefighters, and medical support for firefighters who are already affected.

Fire Brigades Union national officer Riccardo la Torre detailed how it has long been known that firefighters encounter contaminants that are very likely to cause cancer and other diseases. Now, though, with indisputable evidence to back it up, la Torre is speaking out against unsafe working conditions.

“No firefighter should suffer unnecessarily, and there is much more that fire services can be doing to reduce exposure to fire contaminants,” he said.

“We demand to see more action on prevention, health monitoring, and facilities and contracts for proper PPE and workwear cleaning. Ministers and Fire Bosses can no longer bury their heads in the sand on this life and death matter. It is of absolute urgency that they act, and this research only reinforces that point.”

This issue has now been raised by Maggie Chapman, MSP in the Scottish Parliament. Chapman and Pauline McNeill, MSP, have also raised the issue at First Minister’s Questions.

To read the study’s complete findings, which have since been published in Oxford Academic, visit the link here.

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Katharina Buczek graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Digital Arts. Specializing ... More about Katharina Buczek

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