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Ergonomic Study of Fire Service Musculoskeletal Injuries. Final Performance Report.

PB98130776

Publication Date	1997
Personal Author	Conrad, K. M.; Lavender, S. A.; Reichelt, P. A.; Meyer, F. T.
Page Count	197
Abstract	Musculoskeletal injuries account for almost half of all injuries among the one million firefighters in this country. These injuries result in excessive absenteeism, costly medical claims, and disability. (This study refers to such cross-trained personnel as firefighter/paramedics (FF/Ps).) Such cross-training is effective, because these days a fire department can easily find that over 60% of its runs are for emergency medical services rather than for fire suppression. There is a need to examine the FF/P job from an erognomic perspective and describe the biomechanical stresses encountered in the job. These stresses including handling heavy people (victims) and equipment, through lifting, twisting, stretching, and reaching. The objective of the present study was to describe the frequently-performed strenous emergency medical service (EMS) tasks that place the FF/P at risk for musculoskeletal injury and to hypothesize ways to reduce this risk.
Keywords	Musculokeletal injuries Firefighters Ergonomic Fire services Physical requirements Risks Emergency medical services Human factors engineering
Source Agency	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Corporate Authors	Illinois Univ. at Chicago. Dept. of Public Health, Mental Health, and Administrative Nursing.; National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Supplemental Notes	Sponsored by National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Document Type	Technical Report
NTIS Issue Number	199811

Ergonomic Study of Fire Service Musculoskeletal Injuries. Final Performance Report.

Ergonomic Study of Fire Service Musculoskeletal Injuries. Final Performance Report.
PB98130776

Publication Date	1997
Personal Author	Conrad, K. M.; Lavender, S. A.; Reichelt, P. A.; Meyer, F. T.
Page Count	197
Abstract	Musculoskeletal injuries account for almost half of all injuries among the one million firefighters in this country. These injuries result in excessive absenteeism, costly medical claims, and disability. (This study refers to such cross-trained personnel as firefighter/paramedics (FF/Ps).) Such cross-training is effective, because these days a fire department can easily find that over 60% of its runs are for emergency medical services rather than for fire suppression. There is a need to examine the FF/P job from an erognomic perspective and describe the biomechanical stresses encountered in the job. These stresses including handling heavy people (victims) and equipment, through lifting, twisting, stretching, and reaching. The objective of the present study was to describe the frequently-performed strenous emergency medical service (EMS) tasks that place the FF/P at risk for musculoskeletal injury and to hypothesize ways to reduce this risk.
Keywords	Musculokeletal injuries Firefighters Ergonomic Fire services Physical requirements Risks Emergency medical services Human factors engineering
Source Agency	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Corporate Authors	Illinois Univ. at Chicago. Dept. of Public Health, Mental Health, and Administrative Nursing.; National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Supplemental Notes	Sponsored by National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
Document Type	Technical Report
NTIS Issue Number	199811