# Presentation: 238068

## Keeping It Safe

- An Overview of theSafety and Health Working Team

## Wildland Firefighting

- Inherent risk involved
- Potential for injury

**Notes:**
Wildland firefighting can be risky business.  Many factors – fuels, weather, terrain – can dramatically affect fire behavior, making it extremely dangerous at times.  Multiply this risk by the number of firefighters working on the line, and the potential for injury skyrockets.

## Safety and Health Working Team

- Strives to create safe work environment.
- This Team is formed as a working team under the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG).
- The SHWT consists of the following:
- Five Federal agency representatives
- Three State representatives
- Two Advisors (MTDC and NIFC)
- A NWCG liaison
- An Executive Secretary

- http://www.nwcg.gov/teams/shwt

**Notes:**
Mitigating the Risks

Wildland fire and resource managers know this, and they understand the risks well.  That’s why, over the years, many safety procedures and practices have been created and put in place specifically to protect firefighters.  

Two entities, the Federal Fire and Aviation Safety Team and the Safety and Health Working Team (under the National Wildfire Coordinating Group or NWCG) strive for a safe and healthy work environment for firefighters. Both teams are dedicated to mitigating the risks and getting the word out to firefighters and managers throughout the wildland fire community. A number of projects and initiatives help to document, track and study incidents and accidents. The data gathered can help prevent future, and potentially more serious accidents and injuries.  The information collected offers critical insight into problem areas and helps identify trends.

## Working Partnerships

- Missoula Technology & Development Center (MTDC)
- Federal Fire and Aviation Safety Team (FFAST)
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
- The Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center (LLC)
- Other NWCG Working Teams
- SHWT Subgroups
- Incident Emergency Medical Task Group (IEMTG)
- Hazard Tree and Tree Felling Task Group (HTTG)

**Notes:**
Technology and Development Publications
The SHWT, Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC) and San Dimas Technology and Development Center (SDTDC) worked together to provide technology and development publications on the internet. 

## NWCG Governance

- NWCG is undergoing dynamic organization change
- Working Teams are being grouped into branches
- Budget uncertainty
- Potentially FFAST and Medical Standards Group will be moved as subunits of the SHWT

## Projects in Progress

- SAFENET
- Safety Alerts
- Safety Gram
- Historical Wildland Firefighter Fatality Reports
- Interagency Investigation Reports and Data
- PMS 841, Wildland Firefighter Fatalities in US 1990-2006
- Sub-groups/Sub-committees
- Annual Refresher Training, WFSTAR

## SAFENET

- What SAFENET is:
- An anonymous reporting system where firefighters can voice safety and health concerns.
- Documents corrective actions taken at the field level or provides suggested corrective actions for higher level of action.

## SAFENET

- What SAFENET is _NOT_:
- A forum for personal attacks/defamation.
- A mechanism to elevate “pet peeves”.
- Only used for incidents that need higher level corrective action.
- Interagency criteria for posting SAFENETs:
- Clearly stated safety or health issue encountered in wildland fire or all hazard operations.

## SAFENET Management

- 3 Ways to Submit:
- Electronic - http://safenet.nifc.gov/
- Hard copy form – PMS 405-2, NFES 2633
- Dedicated telephone line – 1-888-670-3938
- Agency Review:
- Every SAFENET is reviewed by respective jurisdictional agency FFAST representative or by the National Association of State Foresters representative.

## Near Miss Reporting

- National SAFENET submission decline from 2005:
- 2005 --  180 submissions
- 2006 --  155 submissions
- 2007 --  down to 118 submissions
- Every report matters – do your part and REPORT!!!

## Management Level

## Contributing Factors

## Safety Alerts

- 24 Safety Alerts disseminated in 2007

- http://www.nwcg.gov/teams/shwt/safetyalerts2.htm

**Notes:**
Safety Alerts
A web-based system that emails “real-time” safety information to a list of recipients throughout the wildland fire community.  The information can then be quickly shared with co-workers and partners.

## Safety Gram

- Yearly summary of fatalities, entrapments, and serious accidents.
- The 2007 Safety Gram has been distributed. It shows 9 fatalities of wildland firefighters.
**Driving – 3: Fatalities occurred when firefighters were returning from a prescribed fire (1) and training (2). **
**Entrapments/Burnovers – 0: No fatalities occurred from firefighters being entrapped/burned over. **
**http://www.nwcg.gov/teams/shwt/safetygram2.htm**

**Notes:**
Safety Gram
An annual summary of wildland fire fatalities, entrapments and other serious accidents used to illustrate trends in wildland fire accidents.  

## Safety Gram

**Heart Attacks – 2: One fatality occurred following the Work Capacity Test (pack test); one fatality firefighting. **
**Hazard Tree/Snag – 1: One fatality occurred when a pine tree fell on a firefighter during chain saw training. **
**Aviation – 1: One fatality occurred when helicopter was performing logistical support on a fire. **
**http://www.nwcg.gov/teams/shwt/safetygram2.htm**

## Safety Gram

**Other – 2: One fatality occurred when a dozer rolled over while constructing fire line; one fatality occurred by electrocution. **
**http://www.nwcg.gov/teams/shwt/safetygram2.htm**

## Historic Wildland FirefighterFatality Reports

- Database that tracks fatalities, entrapments and serious accidents.
- Used in trend analysis and accident prevention.
- Data collected from 1910 to 2007. Since 1987 this information has been obtained from Safety Grams.

- http://www.nifc.gov/safety/historical_stats.htm

**Notes:**
Historic Wildland Firefighter Fatality Reports
A database that tracks wildland fire fatalities and entrapments and other serious accidents from 1910 to present.  SHWT uses this data to conduct trend analyses in an effort to find ways to prevent accidents and increase firefighter safety and health.

## Interagency Reviews and Investigations Database

- Database managed by the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center (LLC) providing firefighters with historical information regarding wildland firefighting accidents and reviews.
- Reviewing 1998 TriData Phase III Study
- Repository of factual reports and analysis.
- Information can be utilized in creating:
- Sand table exercises
- Staff rides
- Other lessons learned opportunities

- http://www.wildfirelessons.net/Reviews.aspx

**Notes:**
Interagency Reviews and Investigations Database
The official interagency repository of factual investigation reports and analysis completed by subject matter experts. The intent of this database is to share knowledge to improve safety, performance, efficiency and organizational learning throughout the entire wildland fire community.

## Missoula Technology & Development Center (MTDC)

- Partners with SHWT providing NWCG with pertinent research and studies with regard to: firefighter energy, nutrition, health and safety
- Produces technology and development publications

- http://www.fs.fed.us/eng/techdev/mtdc.htm

## 17 Year (1990-2006) Fatality and Entrapment Analysis

- Produced by MTDC:
*Wildland Firefighter Fatalities in the United States 1990 – 2006*
*310 Wildland firefighters died from 1990 – 2006*
*26% increase from initial period (1990-1998)*
*Leading causes of fatalities are: aircraft accidents; vehicle accidents and heart attacks.*
*http://www.nwcg.gov/pms/pubs/pms841/pms841_all-72dpi.pdf*

## Incident Emergency Medical Task Group (IEMTG)

- Emergency Medical Services Task Group (EMSG) was sunsetted January 2008
- IEMTG was created to address the coordination and delivery of emergency medical services and occupational health care on incidents.
- New charter was approved identifying new members and new responsibilities.
- First meeting is March 31, 2008.
- A new website will be established under the NWCG’s SHWT’s website.

## Hazard Tree and TreeFelling Task Group (HTTG)

-  HTTG has met and established a Program of Work and Action Items with proposed timelines.
- Presented Business Plan to the SHWT on February 21, 2008, detailing planned work for the next two years.
-  Provides oversight concerning strategic analysis and direction of various hazard tree and tree felling program subjects.
**http://www.nwcg.gov/teams/shwt/httf/index.html**

## Wildland Fire Safety TrainingAnnual Refresher (WFSTAR)

- Resources for refresher training instructors
- Guidance
- Agency policies
- Emerging issues
- Training materials

- http://www.nifc.gov/wfstar/index.htm

**Notes:**
Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR) A one-stop-shopping resource for refresher training instructors. The web site offers guidance, agency policies, emerging issues, training materials and topics to assist instructors preparing to conduct annual fireline safety refresher training. 

## Accident and Injury Data Collection Addition to ISUITE

- Initiated 2007 Fire Season
- Higher than expected use
- Uses ISUITE database to collect information from MEDLs and SOFRs
- Modifications have been made for ‘08 based on user feedback
- Information received will allow better accident and injury trend analysis by SHWT
- Need to increase use of program -excellent tool for IMTs and provides national trend data.

## Questions?