1097-0274/asset/cover.gif?v=1&s=e0f33b687598b5adbbbced84abe7a827fb4a7d56 "American Journal of Industrial Medicine")
This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the U.S.A.
Research Article
Article first published online: 5 NOV 2009
DOI: 10.1002/ajim.20772
This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the U.S.A. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Additional Information
How to Cite
Reichard, A. A. and Jackson, L. L. (2010), Occupational injuries among emergency responders. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 53: 1–11. doi: 10.1002/ajim.20772
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The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Publication History
- Issue published online: 16 DEC 2009
- Article first published online: 5 NOV 2009
- Manuscript Accepted: 7 SEP 2009
- Abstract
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- emergency responder;
- emergency medical services;
- paramedic;
- law enforcement;
- police;
- sheriff;
- firefighter;
- occupational injuries;
- nonfatal
Abstract
Background
Emergency responders frequently incur injuries while providing medical, fire, and law enforcement services. National surveillance systems provide fragmented perspectives on responder injuries because they omit specific classes of workers (e.g., government or volunteers); they report only selected injuries; and employment information is incomplete.
Methods
We characterized injuries among emergency medical services (EMS), firefighting, and police occupations by using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System—Occupational Supplement (NEISS-Work) for injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments in 2000–2001.
Results
Sprains and strains were the leading injury (33–41%) among EMS, firefighter, and police occupations. Police officers and career firefighters had the highest injury rates (8.5 and 7.4 injuries per 100 full-time equivalent workers, respectively).
Conclusions
The physical demands of emergency response are a leading cause of injuries that may benefit from similar interventions across the occupations. To assess risk, improved exposure data need to be acquired, particularly for volunteers. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:1–11, 2010. Published 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.