Health Hazard Evaluation Report 93-0040-2315; Anchorage Fire Department Anchorage, Alaska   [open pdf - 200KB]

"The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted a Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) in response to a request from the Fire Chief of the Anchorage Fire Department. The HHE request was received after four fire fighters reported experiencing either skin irritation or eye irritation as a result of qualitative fit tests using irritant smoke. Each of 186 fire fighters from the Anchorage Fire Department were fit tested in 1992, while wearing a self- contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) (with nose cup) operated in the pressure-demand mode. The fit testing method used by Anchorage involved puffing irritant smoke from air flow indicator tubes into a test hood which encompassed the fire fighter's head and the SCBA's facepiece."