EMS Hazardous Occupation

In the most comprehensive study to date, the EMS occupational fatality rate from 1992 to 1997 was estimated at 12.7 fatalities per 100,000 EMS workers, more than twice the national average for workers. This fatality rate was comparable with rates for police (14.2) and firefighters (16.5) during the same period, making EMS the third most hazardous occupation.

According to this study, EMS personnel, which include emergency medical technicians and paramedics, are exposed to a wide variety of occupational hazards, including ambulance crashes, assaults, infectious disease, hearing loss, lower back injury, hazardous materials exposure, post-traumatic stress, extended work hours, and exposure to temperature extremes (from American College of Emergency Physicians, Nov. 2002).

Emergency medical personnel are often required to enter dangerous settings to assist persons who have been injured. Automobile crashes involve possibility of explosion from leaking gas tanks. Domestic violence or other types of physical assault often present perilous situations for EMS personnel if the perpetrator is still at the scene. Patients injured in outdoor mishaps may present especially dangerous rescue problems if the patient has fallen from a cliff, into water, or fire is involved.

Increase in illegal drug use and manufacture creates especially hazardous situations not only from the chemicals, but also from the individuals involved with drug use.

Due to the creation of toxic waste at methamphetamine production sites, many first response personnel incur injury when dealing with the hazardous substances. Even without stumbling onto a lab, if EMS encounters someone who's high on meth, they will most likely have a problem just dealing that individual. Meth users become nervous, irritable and very aggressive. These individuals also become so paranoid that they may keep firearms by their side, install surveillance cameras, and set booby traps in their own house to prevent people from obtaining access to the building or the individuals inside the building.

How can these illegal labs harm or kill EMS first responders? In the case of a fire or explosion in the community fire, police, and EMS personnel immediately respond. They do not know what has caused the explosion or fire, only that property and life are in danger. Unfortunately, the first responder's life is the one that is really at risk. Even in small amounts, meth lab chemical contaminants pose health threats to all persons exposed to them.

Emergency medical personnel are always there when you need them, but rarely appreciated for all that they do for us or for the very real dangers they endure for our sakes.