Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Health and safetyLatest NewsWellbeingOccupational Health

Essex firefighters suffer body blow to image after injury list revelations

by Jamie Cheshire 13 Jun 2008
by Jamie Cheshire 13 Jun 2008

Firefighters face more chances of injury playing sports in the games yard than they do fighting fires, a dossier of injuries has revealed.

An official report on accidents sustained at Essex County Fire & Rescue Service between 2007 and 2008 – revealed following a request under the Freedom of Information Act – shows that more firefighters end up hospitalised by group games of volleyball and football than they do fighting fires and rescuing people.

One firefighter was injured getting out of bed answering their pager, while another sustained an injury after slipping on the floor after having a shower.

Just 17 injuries out of 73 recorded incidents – reported to the Health and Safety Executive under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations – occurred while officers were actually on duty responding to calls from the public. And it seems that responding to pager alerts is one of the more hazardous requirements of the job, with four injuries reported, including one officer falling from a kerb while another tripped at home, causing a twisted left ankle.

The list of injuries reported to the Health and Safety officials deals a massive blow to the macho image of firefighters, with getting out of bed and trying to open locker doors both causing problems.

Time spent on rowing machines and jogging tracks appear to be more dangerous for them than answering 999 calls, with more than a third of the reported incidents (25) involving exercise, including eight injuries of firefighters crocked while playing volleyball.

Other sports-related injuries included:

  • a broken neck and left shoulder sustained while playing football
  • broken ribs as a result of a heavy five-a-side challenge
  • a hand injury caused by tripping on an exercise mat
  • shoulder damage after a fall during a leapfrogging incident
  • a rowing machine back injury.

One officer even suffered a lower back strain while carrying a ladder during a cat rescue last summer.

David Johnson, chief fire officer at the Essex brigade, which employs 1,490 firefighters, said: “Physical training and team sports play an important role in maintaining the physical fitness of firefighters.

“It also supports the team work ethic that plays an important part of a firefighter’s role.

“We do however recognise that there are risks to these types of activity and we are constantly looking for ways to reduce the number of accidents and injuries that occur balanced against the recognised benefits.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

A Fire Brigades Union spokesman said latest figures showed that 2,471 firefighters were injured attending incidents between 2004 and 2005.

He said: “Firefighting is a very dangerous profession.”

Jamie Cheshire

previous post
EEF warns that 48-hour working time opt-out war is far from won
next post
Training budgets: how to get the best from your budgets

You may also like

Performance management is broken: how can we rebuild?

11 Jul 2025

Gregg Wallace case: don’t be too hasty to...

11 Jul 2025

‘Replace sick notes with gym’, Streeting tells GPs

11 Jul 2025

Workers with second jobs at an all-time high

11 Jul 2025

How using data can transform return-to-office mandates

11 Jul 2025

Ministers loosen fire and rehire proposals in Employment...

10 Jul 2025

£188k tribunal award for director sacked after cardiac...

10 Jul 2025

It’s no secret – parity in the workplace...

10 Jul 2025

Firms’ salary secrecy means ‘they lose out on...

10 Jul 2025

Court of Appeal rules that Ryanair agency pilot...

9 Jul 2025

  • Empower and engage for the future: A revolution in talent development (webinar) WEBINAR | As organisations strive...Read more
  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today