Abstract
Background. Police and law enforcement officers may face physical violence and multiple occupational hazards in the line of duty. There is no nationwide statistical reporting of police officers’ injuries in Switzerland. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological features of emergency room admissions of on-duty police officers. Methods. The retrospective analysis was based on the prospective database of the Emergency Department of Bern University Hospital. Fifty-seven (57) police officers presenting to our department were included and analysed. Results. Minor blunt trauma (32/57) associated with extremity trauma was the leading cause of admission to our emergency department. 16 body fluid born exposures with a possible risk of viral transmission were reported, with 12/16 cases during summer; serological testing for HBV, HCV, and HIV was negative in all cases. No police death was reported. Conclusions. Police officers are exposed to occupational hazards. In comparison to other countries the number of severely injured or killed officers is very low. In the light of the daily reports in the lay media about assaulted police officers, it may be assumed that the majority of injured police officers were treated by general practitioners outside the hospital or treated by themselves. An adequate injury prevention strategy is desirable, combined with more meticulous nationwide reporting of police officers’ injuries.
Highlights
Police and law enforcement officers and other public safety personnel may face several physical, mental, and emotional stressors in the line of duty and are at risk of being injured or of injuring others [1]
Though violence against police officers is omnipresent in the daily Swiss lay media, the public is scarcely aware of the hazards of police officers’ daily work, not to mention the critical incident stressors, such as assaults, long and irregular work hours, and exposure to infectious or hazardous material while on duty [6,7,8]
The exposure of police officers to potential health risks and even the risk to their physical integrity is well understood within the Swiss law enforcement community but has been less studied than with other groups, such as healthcare professionals or military veterans
Summary
Police and law enforcement officers and other public safety personnel (e.g., emergency medical service workers, firefighters, etc.) may face several physical, mental, and emotional stressors in the line of duty and are at risk of being injured or of injuring others [1]. Reports on such injuries come mainly from outside Switzerland, like the USA and the UK [1]. In Switzerland, there is no nationwide statistical reporting on the incidence, severity, and outcomes of police officers’ injuries and no published data until today. An adequate injury prevention strategy is desirable, combined with more meticulous nationwide reporting of police officers’ injuries
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