Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1276608.015 - City Of Bath

Inspection Information - Office: Maine Department Of Labor, Bureau Of Labor Standards, Workplace Safety & Health Division

Investigation Summary

At approximately 8:30 a.m. on July 28, 2017, Employee #1, part of a crew of three firefighters, responded to a reported fire along the roadway. Upon arrival, they were directed by a resident of the neighborhood to an area along the shoreline. The crew found an area approximately 30 feet by 30 feet that had burned on the point. They attempted to extinguisher the fire with water cans and hand tools, but it was too large of an area. The commander requested an emergency boat to their location for hose lines and water pumps to aid in extinguishing the fire. Each of the crew was wearing boots, turnout coat, fire helmet and gloves. The operator of the chainsaw was also wearing chaps, gloves and a forestry type helmet while operating the chainsaw. Employee #1 was sent to the shoreline to wait for the emergency boat and direct them to an area where they could place the suction hose in deeper water, as the tide was going out. While waiting for the emergency boat to arrive, the employee removed his PPE due to the high ambient temperatures (approximately 82 degrees Fahrenheit). After deployment of the fire pump, Employee #1 was standing on the edge of the fire area looking for a way to walk around the fire, when the ground beneath him gave way. The employee fell to his right side towards and into the fire, and received second and third-degree burns on his right arm from his elbow to his hand, and his left arm had a small area that received a first-degree burn. Employee #1 was transported by the emergency boat to the dock where an ambulance was waiting for him and transported him to a local hospital for medical treatment.

Keywords: Arm, Burn, Collapse, Emergency Response, Fall, Fire, Fire Brigade/Department, Fire Fighter, PPE