Dr Svetlana Tretsiakova Addresses Firefighters Safety in a Keynote Speech at a SFPE Event at Ulster University
On Wednesday, 19th March 2025, Dr Svetlana Tretsiakova delivered an insightful keynote speech titled “A Permeation of Toxic Substances Through Layers of Firefighters’ Clothing” at the Orpheus Lecture Theatre, Ulster University’s Belfast Campus. The event was hosted by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) and attracted a diverse audience of fire safety professionals, researchers, students, and industry experts.
During the session, the InToxFire project, funded by ULRI, was introduced, sparking technical discussions on the chemical hazards associated with fire events and the extent of firefighters' exposure to toxic substances. Svetlana began her presentation by highlighting the critical need for evaluating the transfer of toxins from fire effluent through layers of firefighters protective clothing. She highlighted the concerningly high rates of mortality and serious medical conditions—particularly various forms of cancer—among firefighters compared to national and international average values.
Her speech delved into the classification of toxins generated by fires and their impact on firefighters, focusing on the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classification. She also provided a detailed overview of different parts of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), discussing their vulnerabilities and the layers of turnout gear composite structure. In continue, as a significant part of her presentation, Svetlana focused on the results of a comparative study of two different firefighter ensemble designs, shedding light on their effectiveness in eliminating toxin permeation.
The event concluded with an engaging Q&A session, allowing attendees to gain deeper insights into the research findings and explore potential advancements in firefighter protective gear.
Dr Tretsiakova’s presentation reinforced the importance of continuous assessments in chemicals transfer through PPEs, innovation in PPE design and fire safety measures to protect those on the front lines of emergency response.
Stay tuned for more updates on the InToxFire project and future developments in fire protection research.
