The National Fire Research Institute said on the 29th that it is pushing to develop a body cleanser exclusively for firefighters with Daegu Catholic University and Kolmar Korea and will conduct a field usability evaluation of candidate products.
Firefighters have no choice but to be repeatedly exposed to smoke, dust, soot, harmful chemicals and odor components at disaster sites such as firefighting, rescue and emergency medical activities, and responses to chemical accidents. If contaminants remain on hair or skin in this process, there is a possibility they could negatively affect firefighters' health in the long term.
The National Fire Research Institute, Daegu Catholic University and Kolmar Korea decided to conduct usability evaluations of three candidate products for research and development (R&D) of a body cleanser that can remove contaminants left on the scalp and other areas. They plan to verify cleansing power, ease of use and irritation over two weeks.
The research team decided to select the optimal product by comprehensively evaluating not only simple cleansing performance but also the satisfaction and convenience that field personnel feel during actual use.
Kim Hong-sik, head of the safety policy research division at the National Fire Research Institute, said, "We are promoting the development of a body cleanser that reflects on-site feedback so firefighters can effectively remove harmful contaminants they may be exposed to at various disaster scenes," and added, "We will continue to expand research to protect firefighters' health and strengthen health and safety management."