The government “needs to seriously look” at the effects of toxic smoke inhalation on firefighters who served at the Grenfell Tower fire, a minister has said.
The comments by Andrew Gwynn, the health secretary, came after The Guardian revealed that more than a quarter of firefighters who battled the blaze eight years ago had long-term health disorders.
The report was published Friday in the journal Professional and Environmental Medicine, titled The Grenfell Tower Fire: Toxic Effluent and Evaluation of Health Impacts for Firefighters, examined the health status over three years of 524 of the 628 firefighters who attended the first day of the fire.
Over the first three years, 136 people reported life-changing circumstances. These cases included 11 cases of cancer, 64 cases of respiratory disease, 22 cases of neurological disorders, and 66 cases of digestive disease.
Asked by LBC about the Fire Brigades Union’s call for regular health checks for about 600 firefighters who served at or near Grenfell Tower in June 2017, Gwynne said he would speak to the Home Office Fire Minister, Diana Johnson.
He said: “It’s certainly something I’m happy to take up and look at seriously because we recognize that people who go so far as to put their lives at risk in situations like Grenfell Tower could end up with health problems as a result of their own work.
“I’m very happy to be speaking to the government’s fire minister as well to see how we can try to resolve this.”
The fire that broke out in the 24-storey tower in west London on June 14, 2017 was the worst in a residential building in the UK since World War II. Seventy people died at the scene and two people died later in hospital. More than 70 people were injured.
The combustible cladding caused the fire to spread from the outside to most of the apartments, and caused the emission of large quantities of toxic gases.
Professor Anna Steck, the world’s leading expert in toxicology and co-author of the report, found that most firefighters who detected health disorders were not wearing respiratory protection at all times due to the urgency of the disaster.
The report found that as of 2020, the rate of gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses among firefighters who were exposed to smoke during a fire was three times higher than those who were not exposed.
Creating a health screening program for Greenville firefighters similar to the program created for those who served in the wake of the September 11 atrocities in New York could reduce the number of premature deaths, the report said.
Former Greenville residents have demanded health tests for those who survived the fire. A statement from Grenfell United, which represents survivors and bereaved families, said they were shocked by the study because authorities had failed to respond to their health concerns.
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“After a number of studies on firefighter health over the years, we and many others have continued to question the inadequate health monitoring of survivors including children who were in the building for an extended period and inhaled the toxic smoke.
“With this inaction over the past eight years, we have lost time and data and are no closer to knowing whether more lives will be lost as a result of what happened on June 14, 2017.”
In response to the latest research, a London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “We welcome ideas that could lead to better protection for firefighters. We have supported the involvement of London Fire Brigade members in this research and will continue to work closely on this with the FBU.
“We will now examine the report in detail and consider the contribution it may make to the existing fire and health impacts working group, as well as any actions we may take as a result.”
A Home Office spokesman said the research was “worrying”. They added: “Fire and rescue authorities, as employers, must take seriously their responsibility to the health and well-being of firefighters and take appropriate measures to protect their workforce.”