Fire Science Show is connecting fire researchers and practitioners with a society of fire engineers, firefighters, architects, designers and all others, who are genuinely interested in creating a fire-safe future. Through interviews with a diverse group of experts, we present the history of our field as well as the most novel advancements. We hope the Fire Science Show becomes your weekly source of fire science knowledge and entertainment. Produced in partnership with the Diamond Sponsor of the show - OFR Consultants
https://www.firescienceshow.com/
episode 42: 042 - Unsafe environment of post fire scenes with Gavin Horn
We all understand the dangers of smoke inhalation in fires. But what about the site of the fire a few days after it was put out? It looks clean, maybe even lost the smell... Is it something to worry about, or you can rush straight in, wearing your shorts and a t-shirt? Well, I guess I would not be that reckless, but if I can be honest - I don't think I would care that much about protecting myself either... At least that was me before the talk to dr Gavin Horn from UL FSRI.
Gavin spent more than a decade investigating the environment of post-fire scenes. And these places are where many of us work, almost on daily basis. Firefighters, investigators, fire researchers, constructors and demolished... And the scenes do certainly hide some threats within. In this episode you will learn a lot about them, and how these threats change as the environment evolves. More than that, Gavin is a pretty down-to-earth guy and does not imply you should dress for an investigation in a NASA space suit. You have to balance the risks related to contamination through inhalation and absorption, with risks of overheating, falling or cutting yourself, and as well with the capability to do the actual work wearing PPE. That is not the kind of discussion I get with my own H&S experts, and I appreciate this smart and holistic view a lot.
To learn more about the environment of fire scenes, you MUST read this excellent paper by Gavin Horn et. al. Airborne contamination during post-fire investigations: Hot, warm and cold scenes
You may also want to enter the gold mine of resources that Gavin has shared with me:
- UL FSRI resources on fire investigations
- University of Illinois Fire Service Institute
- Online training resources at UL FSRI
----
The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.