Compilation of Data on the Sublethal Effects of Fire Effluent.
Compilation of Data on the Sublethal Effects of Fire
Effluent.
(263 K)
Kuligowski, E. D.
NIST TN 1644; NIST Technical Note 1644; 46 p. August
2009.
Keywords:
fire effluents; fire research; toxicity; smoke; human
response; scenarios; human beings; irritants; animals;
temperature effects; physiological effects; exposure;
carbon monoxide; hydrogen cyanide; hydrogen chloride;
hydrogen fluoride; hydrogen bromide; acrolein;
formaldehyde; nitrogen dioxide
Abstract:
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is developing
guidance for performing quantitative human reliability
analysis for post-fire mitigative human actions. In some
of the scenarios, operators may be exposed to fire
effluent as they perform critical tasks. In this report,
the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) provides a review of the state-of-the-art on how
fire effluent might affect people. The available
scientific literature on the effects of narcotic and
irritant gases, smoke obscuration, and heat on humans
and animals were reviewed. The fire effluent data
presented in this report are categorized by levels of
effect on humans; specifically 1) minor physiological
effects that are unlikely affect job performance or
duties, 2) moderate to major physiological effects that
may negatively influence job performance or duties, and
3) major physiological effects that may render an
individual unable to perform his/her job duties. Where
possible, NIST has identified groupings and/or
contradictions for the compiled exposure data. With this
information, one can estimate how exposure to various
fire effluent might affect the operators' ability to
perform critical procedures during a fire event.
