Implementing Risk Management Strategies to Prevent Injuries Among Firefighters

Details

• Personal Author:
  Burgess JL ; Hu C ; Peate W ; Pollack K ; Regan T
• Description:
  Background: Formalized Risk Management (RM) is commonly used in high-risk industries to reduce the risk of occupational injury, though the implementation of RM in the US fire service has not previously been studied. The Tucson Fire Department (TFD) partnered with occupational health researchers to implement a formalized RM process aimed at reducing the frequency and severity of injuries associated with three operations and activities: patient transport (PT), fireground (FG) operations, and physical exercise (PE). The primary research aims were to: 1) implement task-specific, risk-based intervention strategies within TFD, and 2) evaluate injury rates and the effectiveness of the approach. The hypotheses underlying this research were that a RM model would be successfully adopted within TFD and would reduce the number, severity, and overall costs of injury specific to the targeted operations. Methods: The RM process, including scoping, risk assessment and control implementation, was implemented at TFD over the years 2009-2013, using a team-based approach incorporating a cross-section of personnel from all levels of the organization. The study employed a quasi-experimental, controlled longitudinal intervention design. Injury rates were compared pre- and post-intervention within the TFD, and with a regional, non-intervention control fire department. Outcomes included all reported injuries for both intervention and control fire departments, as well as workers' compensation claims and workers' compensation costs for the intervention FD only. All reported injury rates were also evaluated for PE, PT and FG operations and activities for both departments. Process evaluation data were collected through a series of group and individual interviews, and cross-sectional surveys of department personnel. Results: The RM process led to the identification of 45 hazard specific control strategies, of which 9 were selected by the RM teams and department leadership for implementation. Compared to the pre-intervention period, preliminary analyses indicate a 13% decline in the average number of injuries per year, a 30% decline in the average number of workers' compensation injury claims, and a 21% reduction in average workers' compensation claims costs. Conclusions: Preliminary results indicate the RM process was well-received by department personnel, and was effective at reducing injuries and costs. The RM process may be a viable approach for other departments to employ in their injury prevention efforts. Study Translation: The study findings can be used directly to prevent workplace injuries. The risk management process employed in the study was associated with a marked decrease in reported injuries and workers' compensation claims. The risk management process allows the organization to identify the most important health and injury hazards and to select interventions best suited for their workplace. In the case of TFD, this included injuries from physical exercise, patient transport, and fireground activities, which are also leading causes of injuries in other US and international fire departments. A website for this project can be found at: https://spifi.arizona.edu/. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Emergency Responders Firefighters Hazardous Substances Occupational Health Risk Assessment Safety
• Keywords:
  Fire Fighters First Responders Hazard Controls Injuries Injury Prevention Intervention Effectiveness Risk Assessment Risk Management
• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Final Grant Report
• Place as Subject:
  Arizona ; Maryland ; Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-19
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20054798
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2019-100568
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, R01-OH-009469, 2015 Feb; :1-19
• Contact Point Address:
  Jefferey L. Burgess, MD, MS, MPH, The University of Arizona, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, 1295 N. Martin Rm A317C, PO Box 245210, Tucson, AZ 85724
• Email:
  jburgess@email.arizona.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• NORA Priority Area:
  Public Safety
• Performing Organization:
  University of Arizona, Tucson
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20090901
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20140831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f3ce77c880c03a55fc360e82a3fa7eeb4d543db9e7aa7ec42ef36cc8323cba1cc4bb757b86f52d6b145c6f9d19e915e8d8c4fc17b7baa77383afc353a0d2e01f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/218823/cdc_218823_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 735.14 KB ]