EMT Injuries

Chapter 1: Emergency Services Ergonomics and Wellness

Emergency medical technician injury statistics overview

EMS personnel provide emergency medical care to patients prior to transporting them to the hospital. They face numerous potential hazards while working, including:

Lifting patients and equipment.
Handling infectious patients and hazardous chemicals.
Participating in transport of patients both on the ground and in the air.

The average number of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) injured annually between 2008 and 2016 was 23,411, with the greatest percentage occurring while responding to 911 calls. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and NIOSH, there was not an appreciable decrease in the overall total of injuries sustained over these nine years. Sprain and strains as the result of overexertion and bodily reactions are the most prevalent of all injury types incurred by EMTs. Between 2008 and 2016, sprains and strains made up an annual average of 37% of the total injuries sustained by EMTs (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2018). The following is a brief overview of EMS personnel injury statistics:

Sprains and strains of the neck and back, caused by overexertion, are the most common injuries to EMTs (NIOSH, 2018).
EMS workers with less than 10 years of experience sustain the greatest percentage of injuries (NIOSH, 2018).
Between 2008 and 2016, injuries to career EMTs occurred most often between the ages of 25 to 34 years (NIOSH, 2018).

Tables 1.3 through 1.6 provide data on the annual number of EMT injuries, the types and causes of injuries, and the ages of EMTs who are injured. All of the data in these four tables was provided by NIOSH.

Table 1.3. Annual number of EMT injuries
Source: NIOSH, 2018.
	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Total number of injuries	21,500	23,300	23,500	27,800	24,200	20,200	21,300	18,000	21,900

Table 1.4. EMS injuries by diagnosis
Source: NIOSH, 2018.
Percentage of total injuries	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Contusion/abrasion	15	19	16	15	13	13	14	18	8
Puncture/laceration	–	–	–	–	–	9	8	13	11
Sprain/strain	42	38	42	41	37	34	34	32	34

Table 1.5. EMS injuries by cause
Source: NIOSH, 2018.
Percentage of total injuries	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Contact with objects and equipment	14	16	15	11	12	15	11	11	11
Falls, slips, trips	11	10	8	10	12	11	16	15	8
Harmful exposures	19	19	17	23	22	20	19	20	19
Overexertion and bodily reaction	41	37	41	38	34	32	35	31	36
Transportation incidents	–	7	8	9	9	11	–	–	–
Violence	10	8	10	7	10	10	12	18	16

Table 1.6. EMS injuries by age group
Source: NIOSH, 2018.
Percentage of total injuries	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
<25 years	14	22	19	17	23	18	15	18	14
25-34 years	40	29	37	36	32	38	39	35	39
35-44 years	28	21	26	26	24	24	28	24	26
>44 years	17	18	18	21	21	21	19	22	22