Hazard of chemical substances contamination of protective clothing for firefighters - a survey on use and maintenance.

Objectives: The objective of the work was to analyze the impact of selected factors concerning the use and maintenance of firefighters' protective clothing worn during rescue operations on the hazard of contamination by chemical substances.

Material And Methods: The participants were firefighters (N = 688) from rescue and firefighting units of the State Fire Service in Poland, aged <30, 31-40, 41-50 or >60 years, with different seniority: up to >21 years of service. The survey questionnaire developed by the authors was used.