Developing an EMS Culture of Safety Strategy

"We need safety to permeate everything we do."

   That's how Dr. Sabina Braithwaite sums up the reason for the National EMS Culture of Safety Strategy Conference held in late June. "Nothing we do here will matter one bit if it doesn't get down to the street," she explains.

   Braithwaite, the chair of the project, said she was pleased with the input received during the sessions. Funded by a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration grant, the project involves the development of a culture of safety strategy. The first draft of the strategy should be out by mid-August. Stakeholders will have the opportunity to review and comment throughout the process before the final document is delivered to NHTSA in 2013.

   "What our steering committee has said from day one is they don't want this to end up sitting on a shelf. That's why it's so important for everyone to have a say," Braithwaite says.

   Conference participants were divided into several groups to discuss factors that affect EMS provider safety. Among the issues discussed were personal health and wellness issues such as fatigue, obesity and mental health. Participants also said crews need proper training in such areas as lifting and transferring of patients and emergency vehicle operations.

   One group suggested the EMS community as a whole should "stop glorifying stupidity" and demand accountability.

   Braithwaite said that developing databases to track injuries and near-misses is essential to identifying issues and adopting the appropriate measures. Sharing near-misses is valuable, she said, because others can learn and possibly prevent injury to themselves and/or their patients.

   Another conference similar to the one held in late June also may be held next summer. For more information, visit www.emscultureofsafety.org.