Firefighters Occupational Health Hazards – Statistical Data Analysis

Abstract

There have been reports of higher death rates among firefighters in the USA, Canada, and Nordic countries due to various cancers and other diseases, but research on the health of UK firefighters is relatively limited.

The aim of this thesis is to assess whether Scottish male firefighters experience elevated mortality rates from cancers and other diseases as compared to the general population.

The study compared mortality rates from cancer and other diseases among male firefighters in Scotland from 2000 to 2020 with those of the general male population in Scotland. The data was presented as standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

The study revealed that Scottish male firefighters had a significantly higher risk of mortality from cancer when compared to the general population (SMR 1.61, CI 1.42-1.81). The risk of death due to unspecified malignant neoplasms was almost three times higher for Scottish male firefighters (SMR 2.73, CI 1.71-4.00). Moreover, Scottish male firefighters showed excess mortality for site-specific cancers, including prostate (SMR 3.80, CI 2.56-5.29), myeloid leukaemia (SMR 3.17, CI 1.44-5.58), oesophagus (SMR 2.42, CI 1.69-3.29), and urinary system (kidney and bladder) (SMR 1.94, CI 1.16-2.91). The mortality rate from neoplasms of unknown behaviour was over six times greater in Scottish male firefighters (SMR 6.37, CI 2.29-12.49). Additionally, Scottish male firefighters showed significantly higher mortality rates for acute ischemic heart diseases (SMR 5.27, CI 1.90-10.33), stroke (SMR 2.69, CI 1.46-4.28), interstitial pulmonary diseases (SMR 3.04, CI 1.45-5.22), renal failure (SMR 3.28, CI 1.18-6.44), and musculoskeletal system diseases (SMR 5.64, CI 1.06-13.83).

The findings indicate that Scottish male firefighters experience a significant increase in mortality rates from cancers and other diseases as compared to the general population. It highlights the pressing need for preventative health monitoring and presumptive legislation to safeguard the health of Scottish male firefighters.