Body motion (e.g., excessive 

physical effort, awkward posture, 

or repetitive movement):

6,000 injured workers per year

Exposures to harmful substances

(e.g., exposure to blood or 

respiratory secretions):

6,000 injured workers per year

Emergency medical services (EMS) workers are important to public health and safety. However, work-related injuries 

present a challenge to EMS worker productivity and retention. Research shows that EMS workers have higher rates of 

work-related injuries than the general workforce1,2 and three times the lost workday rate of all private-industry workers.2

Employers need to understand why injuries occur in order to prevent them. Fewer injuries can result in a healthier 

workforce and decreased costs to the agency. This fact sheet highlights results from a four-year study capturing data 

from EMS workers treated in emergency departments1 and provides recommendations for prevention.

Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health

More than 22,000 EMS workers visited emergency 

departments each year for work-related injuries.1,3

Howdid injuries occur?

Slips, trips, and falls:

4,000 injured workers per year

Motor vehicle incidents (e.g., 

sudden stops, swerves, and crashes):

2,000 injured workers per year

Violence/assaults:

2,000 injured workers per year

Emergency Medical Services Workers: 

How Employers Can Prevent Injuries and Exposures

911

Who

did injuries occur?

Most were 

injured while 

responding to 

a 9-1-1 call

Response 

includes patient 

care and transport.

When

had the most injuries?

Workers with less 

than 10 years’ 

experience

Full-time 

workers

types of injuries 

occurred most?

Sprains/strains

Most sprains 

and strains 

occurred to 

the back 

and neck.

What
Employers: Promote a culture of safety by requiring practices to help keep EMS 

workers safe and maintaining a reporting system to capture and monitor injuries 

and near misses. 

q Protect workers and promote safety, health, and well-being through workplace policies, programs 

and activities.

q Create a work environment supporting exercise, healthy diet, and good sleep habits.

q Provide access to mental health services and support use of these services.

q Promote safe patient-handling techniques.

q Provide safe patient handling equipment.

q Train and encourage workers to use available on-scene resources (e.g., equipment and additional persons). 

q Teach workers proper lift and transport techniques (e.g., good body mechanics and communication).

q Protect workers from exposures to blood and other potentially infectious body fluids.

q Implement and maintain a comprehensive exposure control plan to address standard precautions, work 

practice controls, engineering controls, decontamination procedures, waste disposal, etc., as specified 

in OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. 

q Provide PPE to allow workers to follow standard precautions.

q Prevent slips, trips, and falls.

q Educate workers on ways to identify and reduce fall risks (e.g., be aware of the environment and adjust 

path to patient if hazards are present).

q Set policies requiring workers to wear durable, slip-resistant footwear.

q Improve motor vehicle safety.

q Require the use of occupant restraints (e.g., seat belts) in ambulances, including in the 

patient compartment.

q Prohibit texting, use of handheld phones, and manual data input while driving.

q Provide emergency vehicle operator training and complete periodic motor vehicle record checks for drivers.

q Secure equipment in the patient compartment and driver’s cab of all ambulances.

q Prevent violence by patients.

q Establish a program and set policies to prevent workplace violence.

q Provide risk management, de-escalation, and self-defense training to reduce the risk for violence.

What can employers do to prevent 

workplace injuries and exposures?

Mention of any company or product does not 

constitute endorsement by NIOSH.

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2017–194 • July 2017

For resources related to EMS injury prevention, 

visit www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ems/othlinks.html. 

For more about Federal initiatives related to 

EMS workers, visit www.ems.gov. 

1 Reichard AA, Marsh SM, Tonozzi TR, Konda S, Gormley MA. Occupational injuries and exposures among emergency medical services workers. Prehosp Emerg Care. 

2017;21(4):420-431.

2 Maguire BJ, Smith S. Injuries and fatalities among emergency medical technicians and paramedics in the United States. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2013;28(4):376-382.

3 These data were collected from July 2010—June 2014. The numbers presented in this fact sheet are based on a sample and subject to sampling error.