Introduction to Emergency Services Occupational Safety and Health

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Introduction toEmergency Services Occupational
Safety and Health
Chapter 1
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Learning Objectives

• Discuss the history of occupational safety and
  health in industry.
• Discuss the history of emergency service safety
  and health programs.
• Identify, by using historical data, the safety
  and health problem as it is today.

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Learning Objectives

• Describe the efforts that have been made to
  address the safety and health problem among
  emergency service occupations.
• Describe the 16 Life Safety Initiatives.
• List the national agencies that produce annual
  injury and fatality reports for emergency
  services.
• Identify the information that can be obtained
  from annual injury and fatality reports.

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Introduction

• Firefighting has a high rate of acute and chronic
  injuries and deaths
• Firefighters are exposed to a wide range of
  hazards
• Emergency medical service responders face many of
  the same hazards as firefighters
• Most firefighters are also responsible for
  emergency medical response

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History of Occupational Safetyand Health in
Industry

• Hippocrates (460-377 BC)
• Paracelsus (1493-1541)
• Agricolos (1494-1555)
• Bernardino Ramazzini (1633-1714)
• 1911 fire at Triangle Shirtwaist
• Federal Occupational Safety and Health Legislation

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History of Emergency ServicesSafety and Health

• High injury and death rate for firefighters
• Considered part of the occupation
• Maturation of occupational safety and health
• Shortcomings of early texts
• Improvement
• Prevention
• Cont.

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History of Emergency ServicesSafety and Health

• America Burning in 1973
• Focused on firefighter safety
• Perspective of staffing, education, and equipment
• First publicized documents referencing
  firefighter safety
• 1980s
• Significant increase in interest in the safety
  problem
• Trend has continued into the 21st century
• Cont.

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History of Emergency ServicesSafety and Health

• NFPA 1500
• Standard was controversial
• Positive step in the safety and health area
• Emergency services are traditional
• Reluctant to make and accept change
• Cont.

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History of Emergency ServicesSafety and Health

• Changes since NFPA 1500
• Organizational charts reflecting a health and
  safety officer
• Text books on the subject
• Safety and health committees
• Standard operational procedures with a focus on
  safety
• Incident management systems
• Improvements in personal protective equipment
• Fitness and wellness programs have been adopted

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Identification of the Safety Problem

• Local program for local problems
• Design and development
• Data
• Local statistics gathered
• Determine the local safety and health problems
• Compare to the larger population
• Cont.

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Identification of the Safety Problem

• Organizations that gather national data
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
• United States Fire Administration (USFA)
• National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS)
• International Association of Firefighters (IAFF)
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration
  (OSHA)
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and
  Health (NIOSH)

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Review of National Injury Statistics

• NFPA Firefighter Injury report
• Injuries by type of duty
• Nature of injuries
• Fireground injuries by cause
• Injuries per department by population
• Injuries per 100 firefighters
• Rate of injuries per 1000 fires

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Firefighter Casualties 2001- 2010
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Injuries by Type of Duty
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Nature of Injuries
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Fireground Injuries by Cause
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Injuries by Size of Population Protected
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Rate of Injuries per 1000 Fires
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What Is Being Done?

• Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives
• National Fire Fighter Life Safety Summit
• Established objectives of reducing fatality rates
• Produced an agenda of initiatives
• Common goal of reducing firefighter deaths
• Adoption of 16 firefighter life safety
  initiatives
• Cont.

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What Is Being Done?

• Risk management
• SAFEOPS
• Supervision
• Attitude
• Fitness/wellness
• Education
• Organizational
• involvement
• Procedures
• Standards and regulations

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Is it Working?

• Rate of illness, injuries, and fatalities are
  constant
• Efforts must be continued and expanded
• Continued efforts can lower these statistics
• New programs are being developed frequently
• Increase preparedness
• Minimize to potential for injury and deaths

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Summary

• Occupational safety and health emphasis is
  relatively new for emergency service providers
• With good risk management the frequency and
  severity of injuries could be reduced
• Better programs, research, data, and
  organizational commitment to improve are still
  needed
• Unprecedented meeting of 200 fire service leaders
  in Tampa resulted in the development of the 16
  firefighter life safety initiatives

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Summary

• Occupational safety and health emphasis is
  relatively new for emergency service providers
• With good risk management the frequency and
  severity of injuries could be reduced
• Better programs, research, data, and
  organizational commitment to improve are still
  needed
• Unprecedented meeting of 200 fire service leaders
  in Tampa resulted in the development of the 16
  firefighter life safety initiatives

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