Hey,
The number of firefighter injuries fell to a twenty year low in 2010, according to the NFPA report released today. We say "well sorta" because there really is no common reporting system nationally that fire departments must submit information to. And while we say "sorta", the NFPA info provides excellent data, and it is the best way to determine our injuries currently. As we noted a few months ago, USFA/DHS has awarded a grant to Drexell Univerisity to develop a consistent national system of tracking all firefighter injuries – and they are making good progress in its development – with some very unique plans for the future.
HERE is the FIREFIGHTER INJURY RESEARCH AND SAFETY TRENDS website, Check It Out: http://publichealth.drexel.edu/first/
The new NFPA study shows 71,875 injuries were suffered in the line of duty last year, an 8 percent drop from the previous 12 months. In the report, injuries by type of duty, exposures to infectious diseases and how a community’s size affects the number of injuries within a fire department are outlined.
Among the key findings from the NFPA report:
=An estimated 15,000, or 20.8 percent, of all firefighter injuries, resulted in lost time from work in 2010.
=In addition to injuries, there were 11,200 exposures to infectious diseases and 25,700 exposures to hazardous conditions.
=The Northeast reported a higher number of fireground injuries per 100 fires (sustained from structure fires, vehicle fires and brush fires) than other regions of the country.
=Almost half (45 percent) of all firefighter injuries occurred during fireground operations. An estimated 13,355 occurred at non-fire emergencies, 4,380 while responding to or returning from an incident, 7,275 during training activities and 14,190 during other on-duty activities.
=The major types of injuries received during fireground operations were strains, sprains and muscular pain, which were responsible for 52.8 percent of the injuries; wounds, cuts, bleeding and bruises, responsible for 14.2 percent; and burns, responsible for 5.9 percent.
=The leading causes of fireground injuries were overexertion and strain, which were responsible for 25.7 percent of the injuries. Falls, slips and jumps were responsible for 22.5 percent.
=The number of fires to which a fire department responds is directly related to the size of the population it protects.
=The number of fireground injuries a department incurs is directly related to the number of fires the department responds to.
Last year’s injury tally was the lowest it has been for the 1981 to 2010 period. In recent years, the number of firefighter injuries have been considerably lower than they were in the 1980s and 1990s, but this is due in part to additional questions on exposures which allows the NFPA reporting folks to place them in their own categories.
Take Care-BE CAREFUL,
BillyG
The Secret List 11-8-11 / 2127 Hours
