Understanding emergency workers' behavior and perspectives on design and safety in the workplace

Abstract

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is a demanding and hazardous industry. Because of the changing roles in the emergency response system, EMS workers are increasingly expected to provide treatment and care in addition to transport, which increases their task load and susceptibility to harm. This paper serves to outline the EMS field from the worker's perspective with the purpose of understanding their views on health, safety, and the work environment, and identify where gaps in worker well-being are exposed. Through direct observation, field studies, and formal interviews with EMS professionals, we discuss where reluctance lies in addressing safety issues and the current efforts to address them. A high prevalence of responses regarding the inadequacy of ambulance restraining systems was reported, as existing interventions do not take into account medic needs.

Keywords: Ambulance safety; Emergency Medical Services; Paramedic; Worker assessment.