Risk management of emergency service vehicle crashes in the United States fire service: process, outputs, and recommendations

BMC Public Health

Research Article

Dustin D. French¹  Keshia Pollack Porter²  Stephanie Griffin³  Alesia M. Jung³  Jefferey L. Burgess³  David P. Bui³  Stephen Crothers⁴ 

[1] Center for Healthcare Studies, Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA;Department of Veterans Affairs, Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare, Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, IL, USA;Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, Baltimore, MD, USA;Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, The University of Arizona, Drachman Hall, Campus PO Box: 245210, 1295 N Martin Ave, 85724, Tucson, AZ, USA;Seattle Fire Department, Seattle, WA, USA;

关键词: Risk management;    Fire service;    Safety and health;    Traffic accidents;    Injury prevention;    Crash prevention;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-017-4894-3

 received in 2017-04-18, accepted in 2017-11-07,  发布年份 2017

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundEmergency service vehicle crashes (ESVCs) are a leading cause of death in the United States fire service. Risk management (RM) is a proactive process for identifying occupational risks and reducing hazards and unwanted events through an iterative process of scoping hazards, risk assessment, and implementing controls. We describe the process, outputs, and lessons learned from the application of a proactive RM process to reduce ESVCs in US fire departments.MethodsThree fire departments representative of urban, suburban, and rural geographies, participated in a facilitated RM process delivered through focus groups and stakeholder discussion. Crash reports from department databases were reviewed to characterize the context, circumstances, hazards and risks of ESVCs. Identified risks were ranked using a risk matrix that considered risk likelihood and severity. Department-specific control measures were selected based on group consensus. Interviews, and focus groups were used to assess acceptability and utility of the RM process and perceived facilitators and barriers of implementation.ResultsThree to six RM meetings were conducted at each fire department. There were 7.4 crashes per 100 personnel in the urban department and 10.5 per 100 personnel in the suburban department; the rural department experienced zero crashes. All departments identified emergency response, backing, on scene struck by, driver distraction, vehicle/road visibility, and driver training as high or medium concerns. Additional high priority risks varied by department; the urban department prioritized turning and rear ending crashes; the suburban firefighters prioritized inclement weather/road environment and low visibility related crashes; and the rural volunteer fire department prioritized exiting station, vehicle failure, and inclement weather/road environment related incidents. Selected controls included new policies and standard operating procedures to reduce emergency response, cameras to enhance driver visibility while backing, and increased training frequency and enhanced training. The RM process was generally acceptable to department participants and considered useful. All departments reported that the focused and systematic analysis of crashes was particularly helpful. Implementation of controls was a commonly cited challenge.ConclusionsProactive RM of ESVCs in three US fire departments was positively received and supported the establishment of interventions tailored to each department’s needs and priorities.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2017