The Guernsey Fire & Rescue Service (GFRS) has a requirement to fully decontaminate and clean the items of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that it supplies to its staff to protect them whilst attending incidents.
Whilst attending incidents involving fire, there is documented evidence that carcinogenic hazardous contaminants are left on hard surfaces of items of PPE (Breathing Apparatus Equipment & Helmets) and absorbed into the material of items of PPE clothing (Fire Retardant Suits, Boots, Gloves, Flash Hoods).
Due to the limited amount of PPE equipment in use and the requirement to ensure it is fully decontaminated from one incident before it can be used at a subsequent incident, the GFRS has a requirement to fully decontaminate and dry the following volumes of equipment within a 24-hour period: