Violence against ambulance personnel: a retrospective cohort study of national data from Safe Work Australia

Abstract

Although anecdotal reports indicate that some interventions have been attempted, violence against paramedics continues to be a growing problem in Australia. The data presented in this study allow for a better understanding of the problem and can support efforts by ambulance service administrators, physicians, paramedics and university researchers to work together to develop and publish evidence based, cost-effective solutions to reduce the risk of workplace violence. Effective solutions will likely be multifaceted and include training, engineering changes, community education and adjustments to agency policies. Because of the widespread nature of the risks, a national commission should be empowered to address this growing problem.