The Impact of Emergency Responder Musculoskeletal Injuries in the State of Ohio

Details

• Personal Author:
  Davis, Kermit G. ; Freeman AM ; Gillespie GL ; Hanson B ; Huston T ; Steele Cooper S ; Tegarden T ; Tipton L
• Description:
  BACKGROUND:Emergency personnel operate in environments that put them at higher risk of injury to the musculoskeletal system. These injuries result in lost workdays, medical costs, and decreased productivity, all which impact emergency response systems. OBJECTIVE:This study serves to assess the causes, costs, and disability of common work-related musculoskeletal injuries within the police, emergency medical service (EMS) workers, and firefighters of Ohio based on data from the OBWC (Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation). METHODS:Our dataset included all OBWC injury claims involving a shoulder, low back, or knee from 2010 through 2014. Police and Firefighter leaders were analyzed separately from those not in a leadership role, and workers with combined Firefighter/EMS roles were analyzed separately from "pure" Firefighters and EMS personnel. Data were organized through univariate analysis of variance with post-hoc Tukey tests and analyzed based on the job of the individual and whether the individual was in a leadership role. RESULTS:Police Officers had the highest number of total injuries in the dataset, followed by Firefighters and Firefighters/EMS workers. Police Officers and Firefighters injured their back and knees more often than their shoulders, while EMS workers injured their backs and shoulders more often than their knees. CONCLUSIONS:The mechanisms through which injuries occur are also dependent on the job. Police officers experienced a higher percentage of motor vehicle related back problems, while firefighters had a higher percentage of injuries from overexertion. Musculoskeletal injury claims in these emergency personnel resulted in opioid prescriptions approximately 10%of the time. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Automobiles Emergencies Emergency Responders Environment Firefighters Law Enforcement Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Police Drugs Emergency Medical Services Emergency Medical Services Workers Emergency Responders Emergency Response EMS Environmental Factors Ergonomics Fire Fighters Firefighters First Responders Injuries Law Enforcement Officer LEO Motor Vehicles MSD Musculoskeletal System Disorders Opioids Overexertion Police Officers Workers Compensation

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• ISSN:
  1051-9815
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  68
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20062681
• Citation:
  Work 2021 Apr; 68(4):1001-1008
• Contact Point Address:
  Kermit Davis, University of Cincinnati Environmental Health 423 Kettering Lab 160 Panzeca Way Cincinnati, OH 45267 0056
• Email:
  DAVISKG@ucmail.uc.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2021
• Performing Organization:
  University of Cincinnati
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Work
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2000ece935d313ef8d87ede0e5f49b808383f0d5eeba91cfb569b3d32b4f2c49ce0f9180237f02b196e9e2caf717aa582ffe2d51b92d01f2595c5f6f7ab2ed5c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/225879/cdc_225879_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 145.59 KB ]