Purpose: This study aimed to use workers' compensation (WC) data to explore the impact of the extreme bushfires on injury/disease claim rates amongst first responders (FR) compared with other occupations and off-seasons.
Methods: Data on WC claims for FR (ambulance officers, paramedics, firefighters, police) and other occupations were obtained from WorkSafe Victoria 2005-2022. Negative binomial regression models adjusting for age, gender and number of employed people were used to estimate incident rate ratios of all injury/disease, mental, musculoskeletal and respiratory claims among FR in summer and extreme bushfires compared to off-season/summer and other occupations.
Results: There were 120,022 claims in 2005-2022; 54% were musculoskeletal injuries. Claims rates were significantly higher for all injuries/diseases, mental, musculoskeletal and respiratory conditions in FR than other occupations across off-season, summers and extreme bushfires. FR were 1.5-3.9 times more likely to claim for mental health conditions during extreme bushfires than off-season compared with other occupations. Firefighters were at increased risk of all injury/disease and mental and musculoskeletal injury claims during summer and extreme bushfires than off-seasons. Ambulance officers and paramedics had the highest claim rates, particularly in off-seasons, with a higher risk of all injury/disease and mental claims in extreme bushfires than in summers. Respiratory and mental claims were increased amongst police and other occupations during extreme bushfires.
Conclusion: Extreme bushfire events were associated with increased mental claims rates in all FR, with the highest in firefighters. Strategies to better prevent and manage injury/disease risk in FR are urgently required, particularly for mental health conditions.
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Article Synopsis
- Limited research has focused on the health effects of extreme bushfire exposure on emergency responders (ERs) in Victoria, Australia; this study analyzed ER compensation claims from 2005 to 2023 during extreme bushfire events in 2009 and 2019/20.
- Among 44,164 claims, 2.5% occurred during extreme bushfire periods, with police making the largest portion (52.4%), and older workers (ages ≥55) were more likely to file claims related to mental disorders, intracranial injuries, and infections.
- The findings highlight the need for preventative measures such as health surveillance and mental health support for ERs, especially as extreme bushfire events are expected to increase alongside an
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