Division of Preventive Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AL T6G 2T4, Canada.
BC Wildfire Service, Ministry of Forests, Victoria, BC V8T 5J9, Canada.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Oct 21;19(20):13658. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192013658.
We examined whether discretionary use of an N95 mask reduced symptom reporting in wildland firefighters. The study collected data from two Canadian provinces during the 2021 fire season, with each firefighter followed for up to 4 rotations. Participants completed questionnaires on symptoms at the start and end of each rotation, when they reported also on mask use (if any) and completed a task checklist. Eighty firefighters contributed data. Nineteen firefighters were successfully fit-tested for N95 masks to wear whenever they felt conditions justified. Start-of-rotation symptoms reflected total hours firefighting in 2021. Symptoms of eye, nose and throat irritation and cough were more bothersome at the end of rotation. Cough, throat and nose (but not eye) symptoms were reported as significantly less bothersome at the end of rotation by those allocated masks, having allowed for crew type and start-of-rotation symptoms. Among those allocated a mask, use was most frequent during initial attack and least during driving and patrol. Reasons for not wearing included high work difficulty and low comfort. It is concluded that symptoms in wildland firefighters increased with hours of exposure. While provision of an N95 mask reduced symptoms, work is needed to overcome barriers to respiratory protection.
我们研究了非强制性使用 N95 口罩是否会减少野外消防员的症状报告。该研究在 2021 年火灾季节从加拿大的两个省份收集数据，每个消防员最多跟踪 4 个轮班。参与者在每个轮班开始和结束时完成症状问卷，当他们报告口罩使用情况（如果有）并完成任务清单时。80 名消防员提供了数据。19 名消防员成功接受了 N95 口罩的适合性测试，以便在他们认为条件合理时佩戴。轮班前的症状反映了 2021 年的总消防时间。在轮班结束时，眼睛、鼻子和喉咙刺激以及咳嗽的症状更令人烦恼。在轮班结束时，那些被分配口罩的人报告说咳嗽、喉咙和鼻子（但不是眼睛）的症状明显不那么令人烦恼，这是考虑到了船员类型和轮班前的症状。在被分配口罩的人中，使用最频繁的是在初始攻击期间，而在驾驶和巡逻期间使用最少。不戴口罩的原因包括工作难度高和舒适度低。因此得出结论，野外消防员的症状随着暴露时间的增加而增加。虽然提供 N95 口罩可以减轻症状，但仍需要努力克服呼吸保护的障碍。
