Efficacy of a proactive health and safety risk management system in the fire service

Poplin, Gerald S.; Griffin, Stephanie; Porter, Keshia M. Pollack; Mallett, Joshua; Hu, Chengcheng; Day-Nash, Virginia; Burgess, Jefferey L.

doi:10.1186/s40621-018-0148-9

Cited by 6 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…A prospective study found a sleep health program resulted in significantly fewer reported injuries among FFs 110 . A proactive risk management program intervention among FFs reduced injuries, and workers' compensation claims and costs, but did not result in significant changes in injury rates 99 …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Working hours, sleep, and fatigue in the public safety sector: A scoping review of the research

Allison

Tiesman

Wong

et al. 2022

American J Industrial Med

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Background The public safety sector includes law enforcement officers (LEO), corrections officers (CO), firefighter service (FF), wildland firefighting (WFF), and emergency medical services (EMS), as defined in the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Across these occupations, shiftwork, long‐duration shifts, and excessive overtime are common. Our objective was to identify research gaps related to working hours, sleep, and fatigue among these workers. Methods We used a scoping review study design that included searches of MEDLINE, Embase, CAB Abstracts, Global Health, PsychInfo, CINAHL, Scopus, Academic Search Complete, Agricultural and Environmental Science Collection, ProQuest Central, Cochrane Library, Safety Lit, Homeland Security Digital Library, and Sociological Abstracts using a range of occupational search terms and terms related to working hours, sleep, and fatigue. Results Out of 3415 articles returned from our database search, 202 met all inclusion criteria. Six common outcomes related to working hours, sleep, and fatigue emerged: sleep, fatigue, work performance, injury, psychosocial stress, and chronic disease. Nearly two‐thirds (59%, n = 120) of the studies were observational, of which 64% (n = 77) were cross sectional and 9% were (n = 11) longitudinal; 14% (n = 30) of the studies were reviews; and 19% (n = 39) were experimental or quasi‐experimental studies. Only 25 of the 202 articles described mitigation strategies or interventions. FFs, LEOs, EMS, and WFFs were the most studied, followed by COs. Conclusions In general, more longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to enrich the knowledge base on the consequences of long working hours, poor sleep, and fatigue in the public safety sector. Few experimental studies have tested novel approaches to fatigue mitigation in diverse sectors of public safety. This gap in research limits the decisions that may be made by employers to address fatigue as a threat to public‐safety worker health and safety.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…110 A proactive risk management program intervention among FFs reduced injuries, and workers' compensation claims and costs, but did not result in significant changes in injury rates. 99…”

Section: Injurymentioning

confidence: 99%

Working hours, sleep, and fatigue in the public safety sector: A scoping review of the research

Allison

Tiesman

Wong

et al. 2022

American J Industrial Med

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“…The findings of this study suggest that WLFFs appreciate and use risk mitigation strategies implemented by their organization and the USDA, such as equipment trainings, daily physical therapy, personal protective equipment, and policies and procedures. Risk mitigation strategies implemented in fire departments typically result in an increase in overall health, wellness, and safety 38,39 . This study identified that the use of such risk mitigation strategies gave WLFFs confidence in their ability to do their jobs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Risk mitigation strategies implemented in fire departments typically result in an increase in overall health, wellness, and safety. 38,39 This study identified that the use of such risk mitigation strategies gave WLFFs confidence in their ability to do their jobs. Furthermore, onboarding training and required safety certifications contributed to participants' confidence in risk mitigation strategies.…”

Section: Risk Mitigation Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attitudes and Beliefs of Wildland Firefighters Toward Occupational Health Services

Klossner,

Drescher,

Games

2023

J Occup Environ Med

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Context Wildland firefighters (WLFFs) are at an increased risk of health conditions, injuries, and illnesses related to sustained levels of intense physical activity. The purpose of this study was to identify and explore the current attitudes and beliefs of WLFFs regarding health services. Methods We used consensual qualitative research (CQR) design for this study. Participants engaged in an online, semi-structured interview. Results We identified four domains: 1) risk mitigation strategies, 2) culture of fire services, 3) access to healthcare services, and 4) identification of healthcare gap. Conclusions Access to occupational health services for WLFFs is readily available in the form of emergency medical care. However, a lack of regular access to physical medicine and the continuation of care beyond acute treatment was apparent.

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“…Firefighters routinely engage in duties that expose them to a range of safety and health risks [1][2][3]. Firefighting and emergency medical response are especially physically demanding work activities, requiring frequent lifting, pushing, and pulling of heavy loads that place firefighters at an increased risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders [1,4,5]. Such work is often performed wearing heavy gear and equipment and in work environments that further aggravate the risk for injury.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relative Burden of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses in Firefighters: An Analysis of Washington Workers’ Compensation Claims, 2006–2020

Anderson,

Marcum,

Bonauto

et al. 2023

IJERPH

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Firefighters face many hazards on the job and have a high rate of work-related injuries and illnesses (WRII). We analyzed Washington workers’ compensation claims from 2006–2020 to characterize WRII in firefighters compared to law enforcement officers and “all other” workers. There were 9187 compensable claims for firefighters, 7801 for law enforcement officers, and 586,939 for “all other” workers. Nearly 40% of claims for firefighters were work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). The claim rate per 10,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) firefighters was 716.4, which is significantly higher than that of law enforcement officers (510.0) and “all other” workers (163.2). The rate per 10,000 FTE of WMSD claims was also higher in firefighters (277.0) than in law enforcement officers (76.2) and “all other” workers (57.6). Additional WRII among firefighters commonly included being struck or caught in objects, slipping or tripping, and exposure to caustic or noxious substances; and amongst law enforcement, transportation accidents and violence. Medical costs and time-loss days per claim were lower for firefighters and law enforcement than for “all other” workers. Common tasks associated with WMSDs in firefighters included lifting and transporting patients, using specific tools and equipment, and physical training. WMSDs stand out as an area for prevention and intervention activities.

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Efficacy of a proactive health and safety risk management system in the fire service

Cited by 6 publications

References 15 publications

Working hours, sleep, and fatigue in the public safety sector: A scoping review of the research

Working hours, sleep, and fatigue in the public safety sector: A scoping review of the research

Attitudes and Beliefs of Wildland Firefighters Toward Occupational Health Services

The Relative Burden of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses in Firefighters: An Analysis of Washington Workers’ Compensation Claims, 2006–2020

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