The case in summary • Firefighters have a higher risk of cancer due to carcinogenic substances in the fire suit.• A special washing machine in Bergen uses liquid CO₂ to wash the fire suit and remove the toxins.• The technology, which was originally developed by Nasa to clean the spacesuits, has now has been commercialized by a Belgian company.• Section leader in the Bergen Fire Service, Tommy Kristoffersen, expresses great satisfaction that the machine is available in the local area.• Fire clothing only gets 50% clean after a normal water wash, but with this technology it can be completely cleaned. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. In Godvik outside Bergen, there is now a washing machine a little out of the ordinary. The machine removes all toxins from the clothing, so that they are as good as new. – This is the only way to reset the fire protection properly. We know that fire clothing does not get more than 50 percent clean after a normal water wash. It takes decontamination to reset this, and we can finally get that here now. That’s what Tommy Kristoffersen, section leader of the Bergen fire service, and leader of the voluntary organization “Firefighters against cancer” says. The new washing machine has been long-awaited, as firefighters have a higher risk of getting cancer than other occupational groups. Firefighters are exposed to large amounts of smoke, which also leaves waste substances inside their clothing. Photo: Marit Hommedal / NTB First in the Nordic region Kristoffersen is therefore jubilant that the new technology is finally in place in Bergen, as the very first in the entire Nordic region. Firefighters all over the country can send their work clothes there and get them back completely free of carcinogenic substances. The reason why an ordinary washing machine does not do a good enough job is that there is a waterproof membrane in the middle of the fire cladding. This cannot be washed with normal machine washing, so while the jackets are clean inside and out, cancer-causing substances remain in the middle. The solution was to replace H₂O with CO₂. Washing with liquid CO₂ – Liquid CO₂ has such a low viscosity that it can “flush” through the membrane several times, up to twelve times during a cycle, and thus wash out all the toxins that may have remained inside the textile after traditional washing, says Kenneth Holm. This glass is filled with toxic substances that have been washed out from the membrane. Photo: John Inge Johansen / news He is the general manager of Hygienisk vask og rens, a family business which for over 70 years has washed clothes in the usual way. – This is technology invented by Nasa to clean the spacesuits of those who traveled to the moon, but also a technology that was used on board space stations to wash the personal clothes of the astronauts. Up in the atmosphere there is a lot of CO₂ and little water, says Holm. Slightly different from a normal washing programme, pressure equalisation, gas in liquid form, recycling and special waste. A lot of new things for Kenneth Holm to get used to. Photo: John Inge Johansen / news – Proud, happy and satisfied A Belgian company developed this into a commercial machine that can be used to remove cancer-causing substances from firefighters’ work clothes. “Firemen against cancer” have themselves invested in the project to get the machine established in Norway. According to what news knows, it will cost around one million kroner a year to lease the machine. It is this machine that is now in place in Bergen, where it will wash clothes from fire constables from all over the country. – We are very proud and happy and satisfied to have this machine in place here in our own back garden, says firefighter Tommy Kristoffersen in “Firemen against cancer”. Although the machine is located in Bergen, it will be able to be used by firefighters from all over Norway. – It has been arranged so that everyone can send their firefighting clothing here. We recommend that the clothing is sent once or twice a year, but then it is up to each individual fire service to decide whether they want to do it. He also emphasizes that it is possible to send the clothing more often if necessary. – If you are involved in a fierce fire with exposure to both asbestos and other substances, then you should decontaminate the equipment immediately afterwards. Tommy Kristoffersen is delighted that Bergen is the first place in the Nordics where this is now available. l Photo: John Inge Johansen / news – Big step in the right direction Every year around 1,100 people in Norway get work-related cancer. Geir Vangsnes, regional manager of the Vestland Cancer Association, is very happy that the new machine has arrived in Norway. – We must praise “Firefighters against cancer” and everyone else who has contributed to making this happen. This is a big step in the right direction, says Vangsnes. Occupational cancer The World Health Organization declared for the first time in 2022 that the firefighter profession has an increased risk of cancer. Firefighters have an increased risk of getting prostate cancer of between 15 and 30 percent. The Norwegian Labor Inspection Authority carried out inspections at fire stations a few years ago, where they uncovered several offences. 7 out of 10 did not have sufficient measures to reduce the health risks associated with hazardous exposure. A Norwegian study shows that fire personnel’s exposure to cancer-causing substances had a peak in the 1970s and 1980s, before recent changes have contributed to the exposure being somewhat reduced. Source: Kreftforeningen In recent years, “Firefighters against cancer” have traveled to conferences and read up on research to stay informed about cancer risk among firefighters. But at first the firefighters were not convinced. – We were healthy skeptical of the concept. But the more we got into it, the more we understood it. As we have worked on this and understood the challenges and issues involved, we have found that this is the only way to reset the fire protection properly, says Kristoffersen. Published 08.07.2024, at 17.37
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Super washing machine to reduce the risk of cancer for fire crews throughout Norway – news Vestland
