Belfast Airport adds De-Wipe kits to fire-fighter decontamination protocol
Iain Hoey
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De-Wipe kits added to Belfast Airport airside procedures
Belfast International Airport has incorporated De-Wipe Airside contamination kits into updated procedures aimed at improving health and safety for its fire-fighters.
A case study published by De-Wipe describes the kits as part of a contaminant cleaning protocol used during and after every response, with the same products also used during training exercises.
All fire-fighters at Belfast International follow the updated cleaning protocol to reduce exposure to substances encountered in fire fighting environments.
The case study also notes that airports including Belfast and Manchester use De-Wipe Airside Decontamination kits for their fire and rescue teams.
Exposure risks and decontamination practice
The De-Wipe case study links the use of decontamination procedures to research indicating that airside personnel working near aircraft refuelling areas face exposure to harmful toxins.
It references research describing increased cancer risk among fire-fighters linked to repeated exposure during incidents.
The case study explains that extreme heat can make skin up to 400% more absorbent for every five degree rise in temperature, allowing carcinogens to embed more deeply.
It also cites survey data indicating that more than 4% of firefighters had a cancer diagnosis, with an age-specific cancer rate up to 323% higher among people aged 35 to 39 than the general population.
Firefighters who had served 15 years or more were described as 1.7 times more likely to develop cancer than those with shorter service.
Decontamination bags and equipment storage
De-Wipe also describes its Airside decontamination bags as storage for equipment used in the cleaning process.
The bags are designed to hold items including wipes and hair and body wash.
Equipment wash and equipment wipes are also listed among the products stored in the kits.