Assessment of Environmental Hazards in Emergency Medical Services (EMS): A Scoping Review

Emergency medical services (EMS) workers provide care to patients in a challenging and dynamic environment. This environment is characterized by a high risk for both harm and errors. Although EMS care plays a vital role in saving lives, the literature on healthcare worker safety in this setting is sparse. The purpose of this study was to assess various environmental hazards affecting the EMS providers, their effects, and what needs to be done to change the situation. The study adopted the scoping review method of study. A total of 13, 382 articles were identified for the study. However, after thorough screening, and removal of duplicates and irrelevant studies, only 33 articles were selected and included in the final review. From the results of the review, it was established that EMS workers face physical hazards such as injuries and accidents, psychological hazards, chemical hazards, infectious diseases, and fatigue. These threats lead to morbidity, disabilities, stress, and other impacts among healthcare workers. For them to be addressed, there is a need to promote emergency preparedness and strengthen emergency response efforts. It was concluded that promoting healthcare worker safety in the EMS setting requires a multi-disciplinary approach involving teams from other fields of medicine. This can help to provide a novel understanding of how to deal with the environmental threats that EMS personnel get exposed to