Ambulance Safety

734 Words2 Pages

In the world of EMS there are many dangers that providers face on a daily basis. EMS education starts with the premise that you cannot guarantee the safety of your patient until you guarantee your own. As such, an emphasis is put on health, body substance isolation, and scene safety repeatedly throughout the education process. It is not until one joins the rank and file of the daily work force of EMS that the dangers of driving or of being a passenger in an ambulance are understood and many times this may be too late. Photographs and descriptions of the dangers may be displayed but with no training other than on the job road testing and video and written exams bad habits and lax behavior may be too ingrained in the individual.

While an emphasis on education is needed a far larger concern may be the ambulances themselves. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s Paul Moore “although general vehicle safety has increased by leaps and bounds within the last fifteen years ambulance safety has not, particularly in the patient compartment” (Nordberg). ...

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