Harsh reality of Australia’s most dangerous job

One in three frontline staff have been injured while at work, according to stark new research into one of the country’s most important professions.

The harsh reality of just how dangerous life as a paramedic in Victoria can be has been revealed in new research.

One in three frontline ambulance staff in the state have been injured on the job, with mental health woes listed as the biggest reason for taking time off in the force.

Over the past six years, 7591 paramedic injuries were reported, with a mammoth 28 per cent leading to work absences.

Monash University, which carried out the study, also found the biggest causes for the injuries were psychological stressors and manual handling.

Secretary of the Victorian Ambulance Union, Danny Hill, said intense working conditions are causing countless paramedics to suffer burnout.

“We have to reduce the workload on them,” he told 3AW.

Paramedics in Victoria are being injured on the job. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

“Right now about two out of 10 patients which paramedics are going to require any form of paramedic intervention … that’s really sort of increasing the workload and increasing the strain on them – it’s really not their work they should be doing.”

The latest insight comes amid a slew of pandemic-induced woes for the service, including several code red alerts throughout last year.

However, an extra 631 graduates joined the sector throughout 2022, as part an ongoing effort to expand the force.

Victoria’s paramedic workforce has grown by more than 56 per cent since 2014 – an increase of more than 2200 paramedics.

Ambulance Victoria recruited 700 paramedics in 2021 – its single largest annual recruitment ever.