The study's authors examined three independent databases, including the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), and the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Service (NEMSMS), to help develop the most comprehensive picture to date of the occupational hazards for EMS workers. According to the 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, stress, extended work hours, and exposure to temperature extremes.
Annals of Emergency Medicine