Occupational injuries among police workers: Patterns and contributing factors in an Australian jurisdiction

摘要

Police are regularly exposed to potentially traumatic events, which puts them at risk of physical and psychological injury. International evidence suggests that police have high injury rates relative to other occupations, however most research either focuses on specific situations (e.g., use of force); specific injury causes (e.g., weapons); or specific injury types (e.g. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder). Few studies have focused on understanding injury patterns across the workforce. Thus, the primary objective of this paper was to describe the rate, mechanisms, type and costs of occupational injuries experienced by police in one Australian jurisdiction.