Roadside Assistance

Details

• Personal Author:
  McFall, Mark F.
• Description:
  When firefighters and paramedics respond to an incident along a highway, they often don't realize that they may be in as much danger from passing traffic as when they enter a burning building. Motorists accustomed to a clear, unobstructed roadway may not recognize and avoid closed lanes, emergency workers on or near the roadway, and a variety of fixed object hazards. In addition, weather conditions can impair motorists' ability to see and avoid firefighters and apparatus. Between 1995 and 1999, 17 firefighters were struck and killed by motorists, according to the National Fire Protection Association. This is an 89% increase in this type of line-of-duty death from 1990 to 1994, when nine firefighters were killed. Early estimates for 2000 show five deaths and 20 injuries. (See sidebar.) In 1999, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health investigated two cases where a firefighter was struck and killed by a motorist while providing emergency services along the roadside. In Oklahoma, one firefighter died and a second was severely injured, and in South Carolina, a firefighter was killed after being struck by a tractor-trailer truck. These cases illustrate some of the hazards firefighters face while working along roadways. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Automobiles Emergencies Emergency Responders Firefighters Fires Mortality Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Occupational Injuries Safety

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• Keywords:
  Accident Rates Accidents Accident Statistics Emergency Responders Emergency Response Firefighting Fire Hazards Injuries Injury Prevention Mortality Data Mortality Rates Motor Vehicles Occupational Accidents Occupational Hazards Paramedical Services Traumatic Injuries

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• ISSN:
  0015-2552
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSR - Division of Safety Research
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  62-64
• Volume:
  45
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20021390
• Citation:
  Fire Chief 2001 Mar; 45(3):62-64
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2001
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Fire Chief
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:02f90e20b0179f0d9ce82d1bd23df6dfecaa10379a2acd17bc902c5c7c17af95b8e7816c03ccf12b019becf9a53bad24fe3976333942373ca2d977c75743acd7
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/198729/cdc_198729_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 369.65 KB ]