Ambos twice as likely to be injured on the job as cops, Medical Journal of Australia report finds

IF you thought your daily grind was tough, spare a thought for the professionals who are most likely to be injured on the job.

Paramedics’ risk of injury is seven times higher than the national average.

AND you thought your job was tough.

A new report has found that paramedics have one of the most dangerous jobs in Australia, with ambos reporting a higher injury rate than any other group of workers.

Published yesterday in the Medical Journal of Australia, the research analyses Safe Work Australia (SWA) data between 2000 and 2010, finding that paramedics’ risk of injury is seven times higher than the national average.

Surprisingly, the report finds that ambulance officers are more than twice as likely to be injured as cops.

Dangerous work … Paramedics have a higher rate of injury that other professions. Picture: Matthew Sullivan

Report author Professor Brian Maguire, of Central Queensland University, said the highest proportion of non-fatal injuries was associated with lifting and carrying, such as back injuries.

“The greatest risk came from lifting, a lot of lifting under adverse conditions, such as under cars or on slippery areas,” said Prof Maguire, who was a paramedic in New York for 20 years.

Violence against paramedics also contributed significantly, he said.

The rate of work-related deaths among paramedics is six times higher than the Australian average.

An average of one paramedic dies every two years and 30 are seriously injured each year in vehicle crashes.

Defining serious injury as an incident that causes at least a week off work, the analysis found an average of 80 paramedics per 1000 were seriously injured each year.

Important work … Paramedics’ injury rates are about twice as high as police officers’.

But Mr Maguire hoped his findings would not scare people off joining the profession.

“People who are interested in becoming a paramedic should not be dissuaded. This (report) is a big step towards reducing risk,” he said.

“It’s a very worthwhile profession, we make a big difference in a lot of people’s lives, and do a lot of great work.”

Besides paramedics, agricultural workers, police officers, road and train drivers, nurses and health carers had the next highest rates of injury.

“The analysis demonstrates that the paramedic profession is one of the most dangerous occupations in Australia,” the report states.

“No other group identified by SWA has a higher injury rate than paramedics.”

The research concluded that the high rate of injuries and deaths among paramedics was a “serious public health issue” and found that more research was required to identify strategies to minimise this.

Originally published as Ambos twice as likely to be injured on the job as cops, Medical Journal of Australia report finds