Abstract
Traditionally, safety-related research on firefighting has focused on fires and fireground smoke as the primary source of non-fatal firefighter injury. However, recent research has found that overexertion and musculoskeletal disorders may be the primary source of firefighter injury. This study aimed to provide an update on injury occurrence among career firefighters. Injury data were collected over a two-year period from two large metropolitan fire departments in the U.S. Injury data were categorized based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System. Cross-tabulations and Chi-square tests were used to determine the primary causes of injury, as well as the injury region. Between the two fire departments, there were 914 firefighters included in the analysis. The median age was 40.7 years old with those aged 40–49 as the largest age group for injury cases (38.3%). The most frequently reported cause of injury was ‘overexertion and bodily reaction’ (n = 494; 54.1%). The most reported injury region was in ‘multiple body parts’ (n = 331; 36.3%). To prevent subsequent musculoskeletal disorders that may arise due to overexertion, initiatives that promote enhanced fitness and ergonomics based on an analysis of the physical demands of firefighting are suggested.
Highlights
Firefighters (FFs) have always had a critical role in society as first responders who uphold public safety and health
This study aimed to provide an update on injury occurrences specific to career firefighters, utilizing data from two large metropolitan U.S cities’ fire departments implementing a uniform injury classification system to characterize reported non-fatal occupational injuries among firefighters
This study aimed to provide an update to research conducted in the past decade which posits that overexertion, which can result in musculoskeletal disorders such as strains and sprains, is the primary source of non-fatal firefighter personnel injury and illness
Summary
Firefighters (FFs) have always had a critical role in society as first responders who uphold public safety and health. As of 2018, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimated that there are approximately 1,216,000 firefighters in the United States, including career, volunteer, and paid-per-call. FFs, as well as civilian staff and non-firefighting personnel [1]. In their roles, FFs respond to and suppress fires, but they respond to medical emergencies and mitigate and manage adverse roadway and hazardous material events. Inherent to the dangerous nature of the profession, FFs are at an increased risk from a variety of physical and psychosocial workplace stressors, as well as increased potential for injury, illness, and fatality [2]. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 7906; doi:10.3390/ijerph17217906 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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