EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WORKERS
Other EMS Worker Resources
Related NIOSH Resources
NIOSHTIC-2 Publications Search
NIOSHTIC-2 is a searchable bibliographic database of occupational safety and health publications, documents, grant reports, and journal articles supported in whole or in part by NIOSH. EMS products can be found by searching on keywords, such “emergency medical service workers.”
NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program
To address the continuing problem of national occupational fire fighter fatalities, NIOSH conducts independent investigations of fire fighter line of duty deaths through its Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP). This includes investigations of fire fighters who were serving in the capacity of an EMS worker. The investigations distinguish between deaths related to medical events and deaths related to traumatic events. The FFFIPP web page provides access to a searchable database of NIOSH fire fighter investigation reports and other fire fighter safety resources.
Emergency Response Resources
Provides links to resources for worker safety and health during all phases of emergency response deployment. These resources cover a range of emergency types and are appropriate for employers and responders. The page also contains a link to a subpage specific to emergency responders.
Fentanyl: Preventing Occupational Exposure to Emergency Responders
Offers recommendations and resources for preventing emergency responder exposure to fentanyl and its analogs.
Motor Vehicle Safety at Work
Provides background and resources related to work-related motor vehicle safety. Includes a listing of publications specific to Vehicle Safety for Fire Fighters and Emergency Responders.
National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Council: Public Safety
The NORA Public Safety Sector Council focuses on career and volunteer public safety workers employed in corrections, emergency medical services, fire fighting, and law enforcement. A goal of the NORA Public Safety Council is to identify the most salient needs of this diverse sector. The council seeks to support the most important research, understand the most effective intervention strategies, and learn how to implement those strategies to achieve sustained improvements in workplace practice.
NIOSH Program Portfolio: Emergency Preparedness and Response
The mission of the NIOSH Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Program Portfolio is to advance research and collaborations to protect the health and safety of emergency response providers and recovery workers by preventing diseases, injuries, and fatalities in anticipation of and during responses to natural and man-made disasters and novel emergent events.
Anthropometric database for the EMTs in the United States
An EMT anthropometric database from a nationwide survey of 472 male and 161 female EMTs in the continental U.S. This database contains summary statistics (mean, standard deviation, standard error, N, and percentiles) of all 39 body dimensions and weight in both metric and English units.
Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009: Part G-Notification of Possible Exposure to Infectious Diseases Topic Page
NIOSH administers portions of The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment extension Act of 2009 in relation to the notification of emergency response employees who may have been exposed by victims of emergencies to potentially life-threatening infectious diseases. This webpage describes how NIOSH has responded to the duties assigned under this act and provides related resources.
Healthcare Workers Safety and Health
Highlights the occupational injury risks of healthcare workers. Provides links to documents and resources related to injuries and illnesses among healthcare workers.
Bloodborne Infectious Diseases: HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C
Highlights the risks of exposure to blood and body fluids. Provides resources for monitoring and preventing such exposures.
Related U.S. Government Websites
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Emergency Medical Services
Provides information on the NHTSA Office of EMS and other Federal EMS initiatives and programs including the Federal Interagency Committee on EMS (FICEMS) and the National EMS Advisory Council (NEMSAC). Includes a webpage dedicated to EMS Safety, which addresses workforce safety and ambulance safety.
- Workforce
Includes information on protecting the health and safety of EMS workers. - EMS Safety
Provides resources related to advancing EMS safety through Federal agencies and stakeholder organizations.
United States Fire Administration (USFA)
Includes information on health and safety for emergency responders.
Department of Homeland Security: First Responders
Describes how the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is working with first responders across jurisdictions and disciplines to improve their safety and effectiveness.
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities page
Provides data on fatal and nonfatal injuries at work from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, the annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), and other Department of Labor programs. In 2008, the SOII began capturing nonfatal injury and illness data in the public sector, offering improved insight into the injuries incurred by EMS providers.
Other Related Websites
National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT)
This organization provides education and advocacy for EMS practitioners, including offering support and guidance for improved EMS worker safety and health measures.
- Safety Resources
NAEMT offers an extensive library of EMS worker safety resources from a variety of sources. These resources cover topics such as injury and violence prevention, ambulance safety, and infection prevention.
National EMS Safety Council
The purpose of the Council is to ensure that patients receive emergency and mobile healthcare with the highest standards of safety, and promote a safe and healthy work environment for all emergency and mobile healthcare practitioners. They led the effort to develop the Guide for Developing an EMS Agency Safety Program, which provides EMS agencies a roadmap for developing and implementing a customized workplace safety program.
American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) – EMS and Disaster Preparedness
Contains links to ACEP EMS and disaster preparedness resources.
Emergency Responder Safety Institute
The Emergency Responder Safety Institute serves as an informal advisory panel of public safety leaders committed to reducing deaths and injuries to America’s emergency responders when they respond to emergencies on or along streets, roads and highways.
National Association of State EMS Officials
This national organization provides support to its members in relation to EMS policy, oversight, visions, leadership, and resources. Their holistic approach to EMS systems and the associated workforce incorporates issues of workforce health and safety. This website also contains a comprehensive listing of agencies and organizations associated with EMS.