By Ken Robinson
FireRescue1 Staff
WAKEFIELD, R.I. — The death of a Rhode Island firefighter while operating an aerial ladder platform may have been avoided by using a ground ladder instead, having a spotter present or if he had worn head protection, NIOSH investigators found.
Assistant Chief Allan “Pickles” LePage, of the Kingston Volunteer Fire Company, was killed June 29 this year when his head was pinned between the top of a fire station bay door and the ladder platform railing.
He was likely extending and raising the aerial ladder to retrieve a pike pole that was lodged in a scuttle hatch, according to a NIOSH firefighter fatality report released Thursday.
Investigators stress the need for fire departments to develop policies for when apparatus — especially aerial ladders — should be used in emergency and non-emergency situations.
“The use of a ground ladder may have been better suited to retrieve the pike pole,” the report said. “Carefully planning a task and identifying potential risks can be helpful.”
While the report acknowledges that firefighters sometimes prefer operating an aerial ladder from the platform, it warns that there should always be another operator present.
“An operator should always be stationed at the primary control panel so that they can override the controls when a hazard exists or firefighters within the platform become incapacitated,” the report said.
The report also suggests a fire helmet or other head protection could have absorbed the initial impact, reducing the chances of his head being pinned.
“It is feasible to believe that the injuries received may not have been fatal if the victim had been wearing an appropriate form of head protection,” the report said.
Investigators also found the victim had been suffering from cataracts in both eyes, which may have caused intermittent blurred vision.
As a result, the report recommends fire departments consider adopting NFPA 1582 Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments to ensure that personnel and physicians fully understand the requirements to clear a firefighter for duty.