Grenfell Tower Fire: Toxic Effluents and Assessment of Firefighters’ Health Impacts

Abstract

Objective This study assesses the health symptoms and longer- term health outcomes of firefighters who attended the Grenfell Tower fire. Methods All available data sources were analysed, including databases published by the Public Inquiry, the Firefighter Cancer and Disease Registry, incident logs and sickness reports up to 3 years post-fire. Results Over three times as many firefighters who reported exposure to smoke during the fire, also reported digestive and respiratory diseases following the fire, compared to those not reporting exposure to smoke. Other, more complex relationships are reported between smoke exposure, immediate health symptoms and longer-term health outcomes. Conclusions The incident’s urgency led professional firefighters to operate without respiratory protection equipment resulting in debilitating health effects.