Table 1 Worker, work, injury/disease and claim related factors in all claims, claims that arose during summer and those that arose during extreme bushfire periods.
From: First responders’ occupational injury and disease associated with periods of extreme bushfires
Worker factors | Summer claims | Extreme bushfire period claims | All claims | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Summer | Spring, autumn, winter | Black Saturday or Black summer | All other time periods | ||
Total | 11,642 (26.4%) | 32,522 (73.6%) | 1105 (2.5%) | 43,059 (97.5%) | 44,164 (100%) |
Age at injury | |||||
< 25 yrs | 572 (4.9%)‡ | 1245 (3.8%) | 50 (4.5%)‡ | 1767 (4.1%) | 1817 (4.1%) |
25–34 yrs | 3022 (26.0%) | 8022 (24.7%) | 274 (24.8%) | 10,770 (25.0%) | 11,044 (25.0%) |
35–44 yrs | 3407 (29.3%) | 9815 (30.2%) | 289 (26.2%) | 12,933 (30.0%) | 13,222 (29.9%) |
45–54 yrs | 3215 (27.6%) | 9462 (29.1%) | 306 (27.7%) | 12,371 (28.7%) | 12,677 (28.7%) |
≥ 55 yrs | 1426 (12.3%) | 3978 (12.2%) | 186 (16.8%) | 5218 (12.1%) | 5404 (12.2%) |
Sex | |||||
Male | 8804 (75.6%)† | 24,251 (74.6%) | 829 (75.0%) | 32,226 (74.8%) | 33,055 (74.9%) |
Female | 2838 (24.4%) | 8271 (25.4%) | 276 (25.0%) | 10,833 (25.2%) | 11,109 (25.2%) |
Regionality | |||||
Major Cities | 7360 (63.4%)‡ | 21,541 (66.3%) | 684 (62.0%)† | 28,217 (65.6%) | 28,901 (65.5%) |
Inner Regional | 3353 (28.9%) | 8979 (27.6%) | 340 (30.8%) | 11,992 (27.9%) | 12,332 (28.0%) |
Outer Regional/Remote | 905 (7.8%) | 1960 (6.0%) | 79 (7.2%) | 2786 (6.5%) | 2865 (6.5%) |
Socio-economic Index for Area of Residence | |||||
Quintile 1 (lowest) | 1101 (9.5%)‡ | 2690 (8.3%) | 98 (8.9%) | 3693 (8.6%) | 3791 (8.6%) |
Quintile 2 | 1548 (13.3%) | 4179 (12.9%) | 150 (13.6%) | 5577 (13.0%) | 5727 (13.0%) |
Quintile 3 | 2544 (21.9%) | 6884 (21.2%) | 225 (20.4%) | 9203 (21.4%) | 9428 (21.4%) |
Quintile 4 | 3258 (28.1%) | 9321 (28.7%) | 340 (30.8%) | 12,239 (28.5%) | 12,579 (28.6%) |
Quintile 5 (highest) | 3160 (27.2%) | 9367 (28.9%) | 291 (26.4%) | 12,236 (28.5%) | 12,527 (28.4%) |
Work factors | |||||
Occupation | |||||
Ambulance officers and paramedics | 3023 (26.0%)‡ | 8977 (27.6%) | 271 (24.5%)† | 11,729 (27.2%) | 12,000 (27.2%) |
Police officers | 5930 (50.9%) | 17,188 (52.9%) | 562 (50.9%) | 22,556 (52.4%) | 23,118 (52.4%) |
Firefighters | 2689 (23.1%) | 6357 (19.6%) | 272 (24.6%) | 8774 (20.4%) | 9046 (20.5%) |
Injury/disease factors | |||||
Cause | |||||
Falls, slips and trips | 1738 (14.9%)‡ | 4894 (15.1%) | 149 (13.5%)‡ | 6483 (15.1%) | 6632 (15.0%) |
Hitting object | 405 (3.5%) | 1108 (3.4%) | 34 (3.1%) | 1479 (3.4%) | 1513 (3.4%) |
Being hit by moving object | 1361 (11.7%) | 3372 (10.4%) | 104 (9.4%) | 4629 (10.8%) | 4733 (10.7%) |
Sound and pressure | 181 (1.6%) | 444 (1.4%) | 11 (1.0%) | 614 (1.4%) | 625 (1.4%) |
Body stressing | 4553 (39.1%) | 13,913 (42.8%) | 434 (39.3%) | 18,032 (41.9%) | 18,466 (41.8%) |
Heat, radiation and electricity | 189 (1.6%) | 200 (0.6%) | 26 (2.4%) | 363 (0.8%) | 389 (0.9%) |
Chemicals and substances | 338 (2.9%) | 797 (2.5%) | 29 (2.6%) | 1106 (2.6%) | 1135 (2.6%) |
Biological | 266 (2.3%) | 949 (2.9%) | 16 (1.5%) | 1199 (2.8%) | 1215 (2.8%) |
Mental | 1849 (15.9%) | 5029 (15.5%) | 253 (22.9%) | 6625 (15.4%) | 6878 (15.6%) |
Other | 762 (6.6%) | 1816 (5.6%) | 49 (4.4%) | 2529 (5.9%) | 2578 (5.8%) |
Injury/disease type^ | |||||
Intracranial Injuries | 64 (0.6%)‡ | 169 (0.5%) | 14 (1.3%)‡ | 219 (0.5%) | 233 (0.5%) |
Fractures | 389 (3.3%) | 1055 (3.2%) | 37 (3.4%) | 1407 (3.3%) | 1444 (3.3%) |
Wounds | 1422 (12.2%) | 3374 (10.4%) | 108 (9.8%) | 4688 (10.9%) | 4796 (10.9%) |
Burns | 61 (0.5%) | 119 (0.4%) | 6 (0.5%) | 174 (0.4%) | 180 (0.4%) |
Other injuries | 556 (4.8%) | 1164 (3.6%) | 47 (4.3%) | 1673 (3.9%) | 1720 (3.9%) |
Traumatic joint, ligament, muscle tendon | 2047 (17.6%) | 6181 (19.0%) | 175 (15.8%) | 8053 (18.7%) | 8228 (18.6%) |
Musculoskeletal system | 4202 (36.1%) | 12,663 (38.9%) | 380 (34.4%) | 16,485 (38.3%) | 16,865 (38.2%) |
Mental disorders | 1984 (17.0%) | 5308 (16.3%) | 261 (23.6%) | 7031 (16.3%) | 7292 (16.5%) |
Digestive system | 102 (0.9%) | 310 (0.9%) | 14 (1.3%) | 398 (0.9%) | 412 (0.9%) |
Skin and subcutaneous tissue | 59 (0.5%) | 123 (0.4%) | < 5 (< 0.5%) | cell suppression | 182 (0.4%) |
Nervous or sensory organs | 242 (2.1%) | 601 (1.9%) | 20 (1.8%) | 823 (1.9%) | 843 (1.9%) |
Respiratory system | 50 (0.4%) | 160 (0.5%) | 8 (0.7%) | 202 (0.5%) | 210 (0.5%) |
Circulatory system | 38 (0.3%) | 109 (0.3%) | < 5 (< 0.5%) | cell suppression | 147 (0.3%) |
Infections and parasites | 51 (0.4%) | 149 (0.5%) | 11 (1.0%) | 189 (0.4%) | 200 (0.5%) |
Neoplasm Cancer | 100 (0.9%) | 207 (0.6%) | 11 (1.0%) | 296 (0.7%) | 307 (0.7%) |
Other diseases | 70 (0.6%) | 147 (0.5%) | < 5 (< 0.5%) | cell suppression | 217 (0.5%) |
Other claims/missing | 205 (1.8%) | 683 (2.1%) | < 5 (< 0.5%) | cell suppression | 888 (2.0%) |
Claim factors | |||||
Medical only claims | 3481 (29.9%)† | 9304 (28.6%) | 280 (25.3%)† | 12,505 (29.0%) | 12,785 (29.0%) |
Claim type | |||||
Minor claim | 4386 (37.7%) | 11,972 (36.8%) | 356 (32.2%)† | 16,002 (37.2%) | 16,358 (37.0%) |
Standard claim | 7256 (62.3%) | 20,550 (63.2%) | 749 (67.8%) | 27,057 (62.8%) | 27,806 (63.0%) |
