How TotalCare helped one Calif. fire department get contaminated gear clean and back into service
Sponsored by LION
Conditions and products of combustion in modern fires are more hazardous than ever, which means it’s crucial any gear cleaning service provided to fire safety professionals ensures below accepted levels of contaminants—or none at all. Research on gear worn during a lithium-ion battery fire shows LION RedZone™ CO2 clean from TotalCare® cleaning safely removes, on average, 98% of the most harmful chemicals from PPE, extending gear life and reducing replacement costs. More importantly, TotalCare® cleaning supports LION’s pledge to help keep firefighters safe before, during and after any incident, a commitment we’ve valued for more than a century.
Today’s Fires: Dirtier and More Dangerous
The 21st century has seen an increase in the use of lithium-ion batteries, not only in urban areas, but in high-rise structures and single and multi-family residences (Blum, A. & Long, T. 2016)
These batteries store an immense amount of energy in a small amount of space. They can deliver voltage up to three times higher than other battery types. Issues can arise when they get overcharged, damaged or start to build up heat to the point of ignition.
Lithium–ion battery fires generate intense heat and considerable amounts of gas, smoke and toxic substances. Some lithium-ion batteries combustion can separate fluorine from lithium-ion cells in the battery. If mixed with water vapors, fluorine may produce hydrofluoric acid, which is particularly hazardous because workers may not feel its effects until hours after exposure.
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Typical water wash cannot effectively lower the contamination levels in firefighting turnout gear (PPE) enough to return the PPE back into service after exposure to by-products from a lithium-ion battery fire.
In a recent study, LION RedZone™ CO2 cleaning removed and reduced the by-products of lithium-ion, metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to a level deemed safe from the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL) and allowed the department to return the exposed turnout gear to service.
TotalCare Cleaning: Put to the Test
In 2022, a major metropolitan California fire and rescue agency had contamination on eight sets of turnout gear worn in response to a vehicle fire that contained a lithium-ion battery. Initial testing by an independent test laboratory showed detectable concentrations of aluminum, calcium, cobalt, iron, lead, lithium-ion, manganese, nickel and phosphorus, all byproducts of a lithium-ion battery fire.
After testing, the contaminated gear was sent to a LION TotalCare® facility for RedZone™ CO2 cleaning and decontamination.
Findings: Successful Decontamination, Lack of Fire Smell
After several rounds of follow-up assessments to determine the byproduct concentration levels, the findings were conclusive that the RedZone™ CO2 clean was effective at removing the lithium-ion byproduct concentrations to a safe level.
The lithium-ion contaminant concentration levels were reduced below the recommended levels for cleanliness, which has not been achieved by any other cleaning methods. Concentrations of aluminum, calcium, cobalt, iron, lead, manganese, nickel and phosphorus were lower in comparison to the previous concentrations and were well below the PEL for airborne concentrations of the metals.
The decontamination was also effective in removing concentrations of fluoride and phosphoric acid.
In summary, the concentration levels were either removed completely or determined to have been adequately decontaminated for reuse. In addition to adequate decontamination, the smell of the gear was returned to normal.
In most advanced and specialized cleaning cases, the smell of fire from the gear is never completely removed, regardless of the cleaning agents and the number of times gear is washed. In this case, the smell was non-existent after RedZone™ CO2 cleaning.
Conclusion
Due to the advanced technology in the RedZone™ CO2 cleaning and decontamination process, the structural firefighting gear was able to be returned to service, instead of requiring retirement.
Replacement gear costs on average $3,000 per set, which demonstrates that the cleaning afforded the department—and, in turn, the municipality—substantial monetary savings.
Family-owned, Ohio-based LION makes the gear emergency service providers, civilian responders and militaries need to stay safe in the line of duty, and develops innovative, patented technology, products and training—in collaboration with real end-users—to deliver solutions that work for first responders. Visit the LION website to learn more.
