Injuries to Emergency Medical Services Workers: Describing the Injury Incidents and the Workers at Risk

BACKGROUND: Emergency medical services (EMS) workers are exposed to hazardous activities and environments that can result in work-related injuries, including body motion injuries and harmful exposures. Consequently, they incur work-related injuries at a higher rate than the general worker population. These injuries affect work performance, result in missed work days, and impact the retention and growth of the EMS workforce. Details needed to understand and prevent these injuries are relatively unknown. This study describes these details and the circumstances related to occupational injuries among EMS workers.

METHODS: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health collaborated with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to conduct a follow-back survey of injured EMS workers identified from a national sample of hospital emergency departments (EDs). Telephone interviews were completed by 572 EMS workers treated in EDs from July 2010 through June 2014. The interviews captured demographic, employment, and injury event characteristics. Results were weighted to produce national estimates. The injury rate for career EMS workers was calculated using denominator data from the Current Population Survey.

RESULTS: Study respondents represented 89,100 (95% CI: 54,400 – 123,800) EMS workers who sought treatment in EDs over the four year period. Two-thirds of the workers were male (59,900; 95% CI: 35,200 – 84,600) and 42% were 18-29 years old (37,300; 95% CI: 19,700-54,700). Three-quarters of the workers were full-time (66,800; 95% CI: 39,800 – 93,800) and an additional 10% were part-time or on-call (9,300; 95%: 4,900 – 13,700). Among career EMS workers, the injury rate was 8.6 per 100 full-time equivalent EMS workers (95% CI: 5.3 – 11.8). Over half of all injured workers had less than ten years of work experience. Sprains and strains accounted for over 40% of all injuries (37,000; 95% CI: 22,000 – 52,000). Body motion injuries were the leading event (24,900; 95% CI: 14,900 – 35,000), with 90% (20,500; 95% CI 12,800 – 32,100) attributed to lifting, carrying, or transferring a patient and/or equipment. Exposures to harmful substances were the second leading event (24,400; 95% CI: 11,700 – 37,100), most often occurring from needlesticks or patients unintentionally or intentionally spitting on the worker.

CONCLUSIONS: New and enhanced efforts to prevent EMS worker injuries are needed, especially those aimed at preventing body motion injuries and exposures. Dissemination of study results can encourage EMS and public safety agencies to consider adopting injury prevention opportunities which improve occupational safety and promote the health and performance of the EMS workforce.