Health & safety news
Heat and heart attacks
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh have called on fire services to help to reduce the number of firefighters suffering from heart attacks by limiting the time each spends tackling a blaze, as well as helping them to cool down and rehydrate after exposure.
In a study funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF)and published earlier this month in the Circulation journal, they found that exposure to extreme heat while fighting fires increases blood clotting and risk of heart attack. The BHF says the study could explain why cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks, are the leading cause of death among on-duty firefighters.