Cause, type, and workers' compensation costs of injury to fire fighters.
BACKGROUND
Work-related injury rates in the fire service industry exceed those for most other industries, however little is known about the cost of injury to firefighters.


METHODS
This is a preliminary investigation of detailed worker's compensation records of firefighter injuries, 1,343 claims in all, collected from 1992-1999. Summary statistics and regression analysis regarding the cause, nature, and cost of injury to firefighters are presented.


RESULTS
Overexertion accounted for a significant portion (over 1/3) of injuries to firefighters, typically involved injuries to the back, and was associated with significantly higher costs than other types of injuries. The per-claim average worker's compensation cost of injury to firefighters was $5,168 and the average for injuries caused by overexertion was $9,715.


CONCLUSIONS
Overexertion is a costly source of injury to firefighters that can likely be reduced through policy intervention.
Walton
Surrey M
SM
Department of Pharmacy Administration, College of Pharmacy, UIC, Chicago, IL 60612-7231, USA. walton@uic.edu
Conrad
Karen M
KM
Furner
Sylvia E
SE
Samo
Daniel G
DG
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics*; D000328:Adult; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005390:Fires; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D005082:Physical Exertion; D018635:Rescue Work; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000191:economics*