Exploring prevention and mitigation strategies to reduce the health impacts of occupational exposure to wildfires for wildland firefighters and related personnel: protocol of a scoping study

Abstract

Background: With an increase in wildfire activity across the globe and growing numbers of personnel involved each year, it is necessary to explore the health impacts of occupational exposure to wildfires and the practices and policies that can be implemented to mitigate these effects. The aim of this work is to (1) identify the impact occupational exposure to wildfires has on health outcomes including physical, mental, and social wellbeing; (2) examine the characteristics and effectiveness of mitigation strategies or policies to reduce negative health impacts as reported by current literature and reports; and (3) develop a program of research to address and understand the health impacts of occupational exposure to wildfires based on gaps in the literature and stakeholder priorities. Methods: This scoping study will be conducted in two phases: (1) scoping literature review and (2) modified Delphi process. The literature review will follow a methodologically rigorous scoping review approach that includes (a) identifying the research question (and protocol development), (b) identifying literature (an iterative process), (c) selecting relevant studies, (d) extracting data into tables, and (e) synthesizing, summarizing, and reporting results. Alongside this, a modified Delphi process will be conducted to define priorities for wildland fire occupational health research. A partnership with the British Columbia (BC) Wildfire Service will enable exploring the appropriateness of identified mitigation strategies and health risks for the BC context. Discussion: This two-phase approach will provide an in-depth review of the literature of the health impacts of occupational exposure to wildfires and identify mitigation strategies or policies implemented to protect workers and reduce negative health impacts. It is anticipated that these findings may provide recommendations for "quick wins" or initial action that can be implemented within the BC context to reduce negative health outcomes, and inform gaps in context-specific research that needs to be addressed through a strategic, collaborative research program over the next 5 years.

Health research priorities for wildland firefighters: a modified Delphi study with stakeholder interviews

“…The protocol for this project has been previously published. 32 To align with public health guidelines on physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, we did not conduct meetings with stakeholders to discuss research priorities as indicated in our original protocol. Instead, we conducted virtual semi-structured individual interviews with a sample of survey respondents to contextualise identified research priorities, and enable broad representation given COVID-19 public health guidelines on travel and the realities of the wildland fire season.…”

“…This study is part of a larger project to establish health research funding priorities for the British Columbia Wildfire Service (BCWS) based on gaps in literature and stakeholder priorities. The protocol for this project has been previously published 32. To align with public health guidelines on physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, we did not conduct meetings with stakeholders to discuss research priorities as indicated in our original protocol.…”

Climate Change and Human Well-Being in the 2020s: Lessons From 2020

“…34 A systematic review protocol set out plans to identify health impacts of wildfires on firefighters and ways to reduce their risks. 35 A review of health effects in children called for enhanced preparedness, prioritizing low-cost smoke sensors, masks, and air filtration, 36 while a review of Australia's Black Summer proposed monitoring preparedness indicators, including household smoke alarms, response time for fires, and numbers of firefighting personnel and aircraft. 14 A new comprehensive review of wildfire causality and health effects provides a useful summary of research to date.…”

Employer Preparedness: A Total Worker Health Conceptual Framework and Model

“…However, these individuals and companies may not be wellprepared to protect themselves or their employees in the face of new hazardous environments. Owners of facilities and public agencies responding to crises such as wildland fires, will need to assure that contractors and recruits are adequately trained and protected to be able to work safely (Koopmans et al, 2020). These cross-over issues are examples of how TWH and Employer Preparedness intersect with community emergency preparedness and response.…”