The government must look at the effects of toxic smoke on Grenfell firefighters, the minister says
The government “must take a serious look” at the effects of toxic smoke inhalation on firefighters who served at the Grenfell Tower blaze, a minister has said.
The comments from Andrew Gwynne, the Health Secretary, came after the Guardian revealed that more than a quarter of the firefighters who battled the blaze eight years ago have long-term health problems.
This is evident from a report published on Friday in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, titled Grenfell Tower Fire: Toxic Effluents and Assessment of Firefighters’ Health Impacts, examined the health of 524 of the 628 firefighters who attended the first day of the fire over three years.
During the first three years, 136 people reported life-changing circumstances. These included 11 cases of cancer, 64 respiratory diseases, 22 neurological diseases and 66 digestive diseases.
Asked on LBC about the Fire Brigade Union’s call for regular health checks for around 600 firefighters serving on or near Grenfell Tower in June 2017, Gwynne said he would speak to the fire minister in the home office, Diana Johnson.
“That’s certainly something I’m happy to take away and look at seriously, because we recognize that people who go beyond putting their own lives at risk in situations like Grenfell Tower could very well end up with health problems as a result of their own work.
“I’m more than happy to also speak to the fire minister in government to see how we can try to resolve this,” he said.
The fire at the 24-storey tower block in west London on June 14, 2017 was the worst in a British residential building since the Second World War. Seventy people died on the spot and two people died later in hospital. More than seventy people were injured.
Flammable cladding spread the fire from outside to most flats and produced large quantities of toxic gases.
Prof. Anna Stec, a world-leading expert on toxicity and co-author of the report, found that most firefighters who disclosed health disorders had not always worn respiratory protection due to the urgency of the disaster.
Through 2020, the rate of digestive and respiratory illnesses among firefighters exposed to smoke during fires was three times higher than among those who were not, the report found.
Establishing a Grenfell health screening program for firefighters, similar to that set up for those who served in the aftermath of the September 11 atrocities in New York, could reduce the number of premature deaths, the report said.
Former residents of Grenfell have demanded health tests for those who survived the fire. A statement from Grenfell United, which represents survivors and bereaved families, said they were devastated by the investigation as authorities failed to respond to their health concerns.
“Following a number of investigations into the health of firefighters over the years, we and many others have continued to question the inadequate health monitoring of survivors, including children who remained in the building for extended periods and inhaled the toxic smoke.
“This inaction over the past eight years has caused us to lose time and data and is no closer to knowing whether we will lose any more lives as a result of what happened on June 14, 2017.”
A Home Office spokesperson said the investigation was “concerning.” They added:
“Fire and rescue authorities, like employers, must take their responsibility for the health and welfare of firefighters seriously and take appropriate action to protect their workforce.”