Quarter of Grenfell firefighters exposed to toxic smoke have developed health conditions, study finds

The study, carried out by the University of Lancashire and published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine in early January, analysed data from 524 of the 628 firefighters who attended the disaster.

The Grenfell Tower fire claimed the lives of 72 people after it spread rapidly up the flammable cladding that encased the building. Photograph: iStock/Luan Mazieri

It found that 26 per cent of the surveyed firefighters reported adverse health effects, which included 66 cases of digestive diseases, 64 respiratory diseases, 22 neurological diseases and 11 cancers.

The research was published in two papers and can be accessed here and here.

Most of the 136 firefighters who reported health disorders had not worn respiratory protection at some point while responding to the disaster because the severity of the incident meant they were unable to follow safety protocols, according to the study.

The fire in the West London tower block claimed the lives of 72 people after it spread rapidly up the flammable cladding that encased the building. The final report from a public inquiry into the disaster, published in September, concluded that decades of failure and deregulation by governments and the “systematic dishonesty” of cladding manufacturers had led to the “avoidable” deaths.

In the three years following the Grenfell Tower fire, more than three times as many firefighters who were exposed to smoke during the incident reported digestive and respiratory diseases, compared with those who were not exposed.

The study likened the health effects reported by the Grenfell firefighters to those reported by firefighters who responded to the collapse of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York in September 2001. It noted that a life-long health monitoring programme had been set up for the New York responders, enabling early diagnosis and treatment of diseases, but no such programme has been implemented for the Grenfell Tower responders.

“Although it is not possible to definitively trace any disease back to a single incident, it is alarming that a high proportion of the firefighters who were exposed to very high smoke levels that night are now falling ill,” said the report’s co-author, Professor Anna Stec.

“Given that firefighting is classified as a carcinogenic occupation by the World Health Organization and is associated with higher mortalities from rare cancers, introducing regular health monitoring for UK firefighters is essential.”

Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, added: “We now have powerful evidence that firefighters were exposed to extreme levels of toxic smoke at [Grenfell Tower], many without respiratory protection. We must learn from the aftermath of 9/11, which made it clear that enhanced health testing is vital to protecting the lives of firefighters and residents.”

A Home Office spokesperson said the Grenfell Tower fire was a “national tragedy”, and the Government is “committed to supporting all of those impacted”.

The spokesperson added: “The health and safety of firefighters is of paramount importance and emerging research indicating that they may be exposed to contaminants is concerning, and fire and rescue authorities, as employers, must take seriously their responsibility for the health and wellbeing of firefighters.”