Nonfatal Injuries to Firefighters Treated in U.S. Emergency Departments, 2003–2014

Details

• Personal Author:
  Fahy R ; Gwilliam M ; Konda S ; Marsh, Suzanne M. ; Tiesman, Hope M.
• Description:
  Introduction: Several studies of nonfatal firefighter injuries have been conducted but are limited by the inclusion criteria used and coverage. The aim of this study was to enhance current knowledge by providing national estimates of nonfatal injuries to firefighters treated in U.S. emergency departments. Methods: Nonfatal injuries from 2003 through 2014 were extracted from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System occupational supplement (NEISS-Work). NEISS-Work captures nonfatal occupational injuries, illnesses, and exposures treated in a sample of U.S. emergency departments. Nonfatal injury rates were calculated based on NEISS-Work counts (numerator) and counts from the National Fire Protection Association (denominator). Data were analyzed from 2016 through 2017. Results: Between 2003 and 2014, an estimated 351,800 firefighters were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal injuries. The overall rate was 260 injuries per 10,000 firefighters. Career firefighters had an annual rate of 699 injuries per 10,000 firefighters; volunteers had a rate of 39 injuries per 10,000 firefighters. Leading injury events were fires and explosions (36%) and overexertion and bodily reactions (20%). A majority (38%) of injuries occurred during firefighting activities, 7% occurred during training, and 7% occurred during patient care. Sprains and strains accounted for the largest proportion of injuries in all three of these activities: 28% firefighting activities, 32% training, and 36% patient care. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that nonfatal injuries for firefighters remained high throughout the study period. The predominance of sprains and strains in all firefighting activities suggests the need for additional research and prevention needs in areas of improved fitness, safer body postures and movements, and situational awareness. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aging Emergency Responders Explosions Firefighters Fires Health Care Facilities Workforce And Services Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety Staff Development
• Keywords:
  Age Groups Body Mechanics Body Regions Emergency Responders Emergency Treatment Fire Fighters Fire Fighting Humans Information Retrieval Systems Injuries Lower Extremities Medical Facilities National Electronic Injury Surveillance System NEISS Patient Handling Physical Fitness Posture Statistical Analysis Surveillance Surveillance Programs Task Performance Training

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• ISSN:
  0749-3797
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1 ; 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:
  353-360
• Volume:
  55
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20052198
• Citation:
  Am J Prev Med 2018 Sep; 55(3):353-360
• Contact Point Address:
  Suzanne M. Marsh, MPA, NIOSH Division of Safety Research, 1095 Willowdale Rd., MS 1808, Morgantown WV 26505
• Email:
  smm2@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Preventive Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e06d59d1df95fc49b3c926c414fc4095998f896cc0441ffacd6339fd4e8db86b3c4332de08980ae90e8cb16e27086737ba9503084ef8a35332c3a4e3f36df277
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/211768/cdc_211768_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 421.98 KB ]