Occupational Safety and Health in the Emergency Services

Introduction

Risk management is a complex process involving numerous processes that must be
followed to evaluate and minimize risks. The first process in developing a risk management plan
for the hypothetical scenario is identifying the risks that are likely to be encountered by the fire
service company. Notably, emergency service organizations are prone to numerous risks,
including back injuries from training exercises and motor vehicle accidents. When identifying
risks, there is a dire need to review local experiences to obtain information about past risks and
the techniques used to handle the risk (Angle, 2022). This report discusses a risk evaluation for a
hypothetical scenario and how the Haddon Matrix can be used to develop strategies to reduce
risk potential.

Literature Review

Based on the hypothetical scenario presented, the risk evaluation should be detailed to
establish numerous facts about the scenario. The risk evaluation process should examine the
frequency of occurrence of the risks mentioned in the hypothetical scenario. Establishing
frequency aims at determining the number of times the risks are likely to occur. Additionally, the
risk evaluation of the hypothetical scenario should employ subjective measures in establishing
the causes of the risks because it directly affects the stakeholders of the fire service organization.
Additionally, benchmarking of local experience is crucial in the risk evaluation process because
it helps reveal historical and current data about the fire service organization’s risks and the best
ways to handle them (Angle, 2022). The comparison of local experience with nationwide
statistics helps establish the organization’s risks, whether normal or abnormal, especially in the
frequency levels. Also, the risk evaluation process of the hypothetical scenario should examine

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the severity of the organization. It is vital to acknowledge that the risks discussed in the scenario
have direct costs, including medical treatment and overtime costs, and indirect costs, such as loss
of productivity of the fire service organization (Angle, 2022).
Haddon Matrix Injury prevention and reduction of motor vehicle accidents
Phase Human Vehicles and
Equipment

Environment

Pre-event Adequate
information
Attitudes of
personnel

Braking
Speed management

Speed limits
Road design

Event Use of restraints Use of safety belts
Accident protective
designs

Crash-protective
objects on the road

Post-event First-aid knowledge

and skills
Access to medical
care

Ease of access
Fire risk

Rescue facilities

The Haddon matrix above provides numerous strategies to reduce risks in the
hypothetical scenario. First, the fire service organization and its stakeholders should comply with
its departmental policy about using safety belts when in motor vehicles, especially as the
vehicles may be at high speeds when heading to the fire scenes. Additionally, the Haddon matrix
helps us understand that firefighters and other fire department personnel should be trained to

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administer first-aid to the injured colleagues during a vehicle accident to increase survival
chances (Anparasan & Lejeune, 2017). Additionally, the Haddon matrix insists on drivers
observing the required speed limits and using crash-protective roadside objects to reduce the
number of vehicle accidents, which may lead to loss of lives.
Conclusion and Recommendations

Fire service organizations should adopt risk management plans to identify and reduce
risks that they may encounter in their line of work. Reducing risk, however, relies on local
experience and past histories, and this provides rudimentary information about historical and
current data about risks the fire company faces. One of the recommendations for fire service
organizations is to use the Haddon matrix to develop strategies to reduce risks. Additionally, fire
service organizations should offer adequate training to their personnel to reduce potential
accidents.

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References

Anparasan, A., & Lejeune, M. (2017). Analyzing the response to epidemics: concept of
evidence-based Haddon matrix. Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain
Management, 7(3), 266-283.
Angle, J. (2022). Occupational safety and health in the emergency services. Jones & Bartlett
Learning, LLC.