Patient Lifting, Bodily Fluids Contribute to High Injury Rate for Ambulance Crews

Friday, September 6, 2019 | 0

Ambulance workers suffer injuries that require a trip to the emergency room at a rate four times that of workers in other professions, according to a federal data.

Emergency medical technicians and paramedics suffer injuries requiring ER treatment at a rate of eight to nine out of every 100 workers. For all other occupations, the rate is two out of every 100 workers, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reported.

The findings were featured in a news report last month.

Bodily motion injuries, mostly related to patient lifting, are a major factor in the injury rate, NIOSH epidemiologist Audrey Reichard said.

Exposure to harmful substances, such as blood, saliva or other body fluids, is another leading cause of ambulance-worker injury. Assaults account for a smaller number of injuries. However, assaults of ambulance workers may be underreported, sources said.