New research shows clear communication is essential for first responders in order to keep themselves and their colleagues safe from near misses while attending crash sites.
Research by the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) shows there is a considerable level of risk for emergency service workers and incident responders when working on high-speed roads.
Survey participants reported various barriers to their safety when attending the scene of an incident, including behaviour of the general public, the inexperience of other incident responders and the misuse of equipment.
One paramedic said: “The general public are not concerned that someone is trapped and injured. We are working our best to save a life, but they do not care, as they want to get from Point A to Point B.”
“The public needs to be aware that incident responders are at high risk of injury and death when operating in unpredictable and dynamic environments like high speed roads,” Associate Professor Newman said.
Australian and international statistics indicate that workers operating on high-speed roads are at significant risk of being injured or killed.
Australian statistics for 2016 identified that the fatality rate for incident responders (2.1 per 100,000 workers) was 1.5 times higher than the national rate, while the serious injury claim rate was four times higher compared to all occupations (37.9 claims per 1,000 employers).
Source: Mirage News
