Sheffield widow campaigning for safer conditions for firefighters following tragic death of husband
Anne Davies' husband Jeff passed away earlier this year
A South Yorkshire widow wants to see 'safer working conditions' for firefighters - following the death of her husband earlier this year.
Anne Davies' husband - Jeff Simpson - died suddenly in April at the age of 69 in Sheffield - 24 hours after getting diagnosed with lung cancer.
She believes the exposure to toxic substances & a lack of protection in Jeff's job as a firefighter may've led to his unexpected death:
"When firefighters go to a job, they want to get in, sort it out, and make sure nobody is at risk.
"That can often be to their own detriment though.
"It's also quite difficult for serving firefighters to keep their breathing apparatus on, because it impedes what they're doing at the job.
"Firefighters are dying more quickly, more often, and younger than other people in the general population.
"The rate that firefighters die of lung cancer and other cancers is four times that of the general population."
A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said:
“Firstly, our thoughts go out to Anne and all the family and friends of Jeff Simpson for their tragic loss. Jeff was a valued member of our team at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and retired after many years of meritorious service.
“South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue see the health and safety of its employees as a top priority. Steps have been taken to ensure the service is aware of all research around the potential risks from fire contaminants – the substances released by burning. This is taken very seriously to ensure firefighters are protected and health effects are reduced.
“Preventing exposure to fire contaminants is extremely important and numerous steps have been taken to reduce the risk. The service provides the very best respiratory protection and protective clothing for firefighters. Risk from fire contaminants has been assessed and a Fire Contaminants Policy has been published, this includes procedures to prevent exposure. Where contamination is unavoidable procedures are in place to ensure firefighters are decontaminated effectively. Respiratory protective equipment, protective clothing, vehicles and firefighting equipment are thoroughly cleaned following fire incidents to reduce the risks from potentially harmful substances.
“The respiratory protective equipment, protective clothing, procedures and training provided to firefighters has improved greatly over the past decades, providing firefighters with a greater level of protection from harmful substances.
“All operational personnel are encouraged to notify their GP of their profession to aid in the early detection and diagnosis of ill health. The service has a dedicated Occupational Health Team and a Health Surveillance Scheme in place to continuously monitor the health of firefighters throughout their career.
“Work to educate operational personnel about this issue is ongoing and the service will continue to embed national guidance and learning into working practices and training.”