73% of Firefighters Experience Health Issues... Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Hearing Loss Are Occupational Diseases

"Poor Working Conditions Manifest as Health Problems"

Seven out of ten firefighters were found to have health abnormalities requiring medical opinions or observation.

72.8% of Firefighters Have Health Issues... "Harsh Working Conditions"

Firefighters are conducting electric vehicle fire suppression training at the 'Private Autonomous Fire Drill for Super High-Rise Buildings' held last June at Tower Palace in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

According to the 'Firefighter Health Diagnosis Status' submitted by the National Fire Agency to Yong Hye-in, a member of the Basic Income Party of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee on the 23rd, among 62,453 firefighters who underwent regular (special) health checkups last year, 45,453 (72.8%) received such diagnosis results.

Firefighters undergo annual regular health checkups according to the 'Basic Act on Firefighter Health, Safety, and Welfare.'

This means the proportion of firefighters identified with health abnormalities among all firefighters increased from 67.4% (30,577 people) in 2018 to 72.8% (45,453 people) in 2022.

In terms of the number of people with health abnormalities, there was a 48.6% increase. This is an increase even considering that the number of firefighters subject to regular checkups rose by 36.4% due to the expansion of firefighter personnel.

Among those with health abnormalities, 39,211 (86.3%) had general diseases, and 6,242 (13.7%) had occupational diseases.

General diseases refer to common adult diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and major illnesses like heart, liver, and kidney diseases. Occupational diseases refer to illnesses caused by harmful environments repeatedly exposed to firefighters, such as pulmonary tuberculosis and hearing loss.

Representative Yong explained, "The harsh working environment of firefighters, who are exposed to prolonged high noise and stress from dispatches and vehicle sirens, and inevitably inhale harmful gases or dust at fire and rescue sites, directly manifests as health abnormalities."

Declining Rate of Detailed Health Examinations... "Need to Fully Utilize Health Diagnosis System"

At the 'Democratic Party of Korea Metropolitan Basic Social Committee Chairperson Appointment Ceremony' held at the National Assembly last June, Yong Hye-in, a member of the Basic Income Party, who was appointed as the head of the advisory group, is delivering a greeting. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

If occupational-related symptoms are found after regular or occasional health checkups, a detailed health examination (secondary) can be conducted for management.

However, among 4,711 people (10.4%) who needed detailed examinations last year, only 2,602 (55.2%) actually completed the diagnosis.

The implementation rate compared to the detailed health examination candidates has been declining: 59.9% in 2020, 57.1% in 2021, and 55.2% last year.

While the examination rate for regular checkups is high, detailed examinations require additional time for further testing, so firefighters with heavy workloads may have lower participation rates.

In cases where exposure to harmful factors is suspected due to work, occasional health checkups ordered by the head of the institution have been received by only 1,532 firefighters over the past five years.

There are concerns that some firefighters may not receive necessary health checkups due to budget shortages, as some local governments do not allocate separate budgets for detailed or occasional examinations and only use the remaining funds from the regular checkup budget.

Representative Yong said, "Although it has been three years since firefighters were converted to national employees, welfare and treatment improvements have stalled to the extent that seven out of ten are still at health risk. Since the health risks of firefighters are worsening every year, the health diagnosis system for firefighters should be actively utilized for early response."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.