KEEP OUR PARAMEDICS SAFE AT WORK EACH MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY plays an important role in helping to keep our paramedics and ambulance drivers safe at work. By keeping our paramedics safe, you are also protecting your own safety in situations where there may be violence and aggression present. Below are some ways you can keep paramedics and ambos safe at work.
AVOID CROWDING THE PATIENT It is crucial that paramedics receive the space they need to work. Please ensure you are actively aware of where you are standing, and ask others that may be crowding the situation to step back.
LET TRIPLE ZERO (000) KNOW IF VIOLENCE OR AGGRESSION IS PRESENT OR PREDICTED If you call Triple Zero (000), it is imperative that you tell the operator if violence or aggression is present at the scene, therefore they can arrange police to attend if necessary.
STAY CALM Emergency situations can be quite distressing, especially if it is you or your loved one that is receiving treatment. Always remember that becoming angry, aggressive or irrational will not help the patient and will make it difficult for paramedics to do their job.
OFFER ASSISTANCE It you are able bodied and have the correct skills, let paramedics know that you are able to help if needed. Paramedics sometimes appreciate or require help keeping crowds away from the scene or carrying equipment.
PUT YOUR OWN SAFETY FIRST If you are in a situation where violence is present, keep back. Do not do anything to worsen the situation.
AMBULANCE ACTIVE
The Health and Safety Strategy was implemented to bring awareness to the safety of Paramedics over a three year period. The strategy’s aim was to create a culture where paramedic safety is front and centre to all thinking and actions, ensuring that better care is taken for Paramedics in the workplace. The strategy is focused on improving Ambulance Victoria’s safety culture, aiming to move on from a culture that has been primarily focused on patient safety first and paramedic safety second, with injuries being accepted as part of the job. Ken Lay, Chair of Ambulance Victoria Board says, “we simply can’t continue to trade health and safety performance for good performance in other areas. We must become an organisation in which outstanding clinical performance and safety go hand in hand.” Over the three year period, the Health and Safety Strategy aimed to improve the safety issues Paramedics were facing daily. The first key issue addressed in the strategy being manual handling. The handling of patients and stretchers were two of the highest reported causes of manual handling injuries, being over 67 per cent of injuries at Ambulance Victoria. The strategy aims to minimise manual handling risks, including the ongoing design and equipment improvements. The second key issue addressed is psychological injury. The safety and wellbeing of paramedics also covers their psychological health and wellbeing. First responder employees have higher chance of developing depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), stress and fatigue. Paramedics tend to experience higher levels of stress in comparison to those in other occupations, factors including: • Long work hours • Repeated exposure to death, trauma and violence
• High levels of responsibility • Shift-work • Frequent shift extensions The third key issue addressed in the strategy is occupational violence. This has remained a pressing issue over the years for paramedics nationwide. The Victorian Auditor General’s Report Occupational Violence Against Healthcare Workers found that paramedics, as well as emergency service workers, faced a high risk of occupational violence, as they often deal with people in stressful, unpredictable and potentially volatile situations. In Victoria, metro regions have the highest rates of incidents, with the top five suburbs with the highest incident rate being within 5kms of Melbourne’s CBD. The Health and Safety Strategy is divided into four focus areas. The first being Safety Culture, Leadership and Engagement. This area of focus introduces clearly defined expected safety roles, responsibilities and accountabilities. The second focus area is centred around Risk Management, the focus being as mentioned above; manual handling and occupational violence, as well managing alcohol and drugs. The third focus area is Injury Management, focusing on offering quality support services are provided to paramedics when they are injured in order to promote recovery and return to work. The fourth focus area is the continuation of safety improvement. Tony Walker, acting CEO of Ambulance Victoria says, “we will build a safety first culture where everyone is committed to AV’s (Ambulance Victoria) safety expectations and has the knowledge and skills to do their jobs safely. “Providing the best care for our patients and the safest possible workplace for our staff must be the foremost priorities for all of us at AV.”
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