Occupational protection of search and rescue personnel during earthquake response: an urgent call for integrated respiratory health surveillance

Diemen Delgado-García

Authors

Delgado-García Diemen Editor-in-Chief, Journal Gestar. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. United States. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2600-8425

Keywords:

occupational health, respiratory health, rescuers, prevention

Abstract

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46296/gt.v9i18.0385

Abstract

Search and rescue (SAR) personnel deployed in earthquake response operations are exposed to complex airborne hazards, including respirable crystalline silica, asbestos fibers, combustion-derived particles, and fine and ultrafine particulate matter. Evidence from major disasters—most notably the World Trade Center collapse and recent earthquakes in Asia and the Middle East—demonstrates both acute respiratory effects and long-term chronic airway disease among responders. Despite the robustness of this evidence, occupational health protection measures remain inconsistently implemented in disaster response settings worldwide. Respiratory protection is frequently delayed or inadequately applied during the most hazardous phases of deployment, when exposure intensity is highest. This editorial highlights the persistent gap between scientific evidence and operational practice and argues for the mandatory integration of respiratory protection, structured occupational health surveillance, and long-term follow-up of exposed personnel. A simplified but integrated Rescuer Protection Framework is proposed to guide prevention across preparedness, deployment, and post-deployment phases.

Keywords: occupational health, respiratory health, rescuers, prevention.

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References

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