New asbestos regulations for firefighters in Israel

Israeli firefighters will now be following new safety measures for handling fires that contain asbestos, one of the greatest health risks to fire teams.

The Firefighting Authority's national asbestos officer, Yitzhak Shalev, drafted the regulations and the authority has put them in place.

Firefighters were able to test them out yesterday during a fire in Keshet. While fighting the flames, fire crews wore special equipment to protect against asbestos and washed themselves afterward to reduce their chances of being exposed to asbestos.

According to Israel Fire Commissioner Shimon Romach, firefighters worldwide have a life expectancy that is about 10 years less than the average for their country. He attributes it to factors such as toxins, smoke and asbestos.

There have been over 100 reported asbestos fires in Israel this year alone, and more have occurred that were never reported. Millions of square meters of asbestos exist in the country's buildings and garbage dumps.

Asbestos in its undamaged form is safe. However, when the substance is broken apart by factors such as a fire, it release potential hazardous fibers into the air. If inhaled by an individual, that person may develop a deadly asbestos-related disease, such as malignant mesothelioma, decades later.

The Fire Authority, until recently, has had no safety guidelines in dealing with asbestos fire, and firefighters often are not aware that their job puts them at risk for exposure.

Mr. Shalev said now firefighters have protective equipment and are made aware when their tasks involve asbestos.

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