Public safety employees

A recent report from the RAND Corporation examines ways for policymakers and employers to improve workplace safety for public safety employees. The focus is on police officers and firefighters but EMS responders and correctional officers are also considered when data were available.

The goal of this study was to characterize the health and safety risks to public safety employees in such a way as to help identify the most promising areas for reform that would both protect employees and help alleviate the costs of disability and injury compensation.

Some findings to improve health and safety issues:

• Better surveillance of injury data
• Proper training
• Increased information analysis and sharing
• Strong safety messages from department leadership
• Improvements to protective equipment

Occupational Safety and Health for Public Safety Employees: Assessing the Evidence and the Implications for Public Policy, Dec. 17, 2008
      Report (pdf, 157pp/792kB)
      Summary (pdf, 15pp/205kB)