The correlation between professional profiles and injury rates among fire and rescue units of the Federal Fire Service of the EMERCOM of Russia

Abstract

Relevance. The personnel profiles, turnover rates, and shortage of human workforce have a significant impact on work efficiency, including the risk of occupational injury, among the Federal fire service (FFS) officers of the EMERCOM of Russia. The objective is to analyze the profiles of fire and rescue officers and their individual characteristics by region to identify any associations with occupational injury rates among the EMERCOM FFS personnel.Methods. The research relies on occupational injury statistics for the EMERCOM FFS personnel collected over 3 years from 2021 to 2023. Occupational injury rates are calculated per 10,000 FFS personnel for every Russian Federation constituent. Personnel profiles included average age, service duration, personnel turnover, shortage, education (professional or vocational, including a degree in fire safety engineering), and other employee parameters. Per capita gross regional product was considered for every Russian Federation constituent.Results and analysis. The factor analysis was based on the matrix of synthetic indicators, eventually producing seven significant factors responsible for 75.2 % of the total variance. Factor 3 is associated with the level of occupational injuries. The injury rate does not significantly contribute to other factors. In 2021–2023 the annual injury rate among the EMERCOM of Russia FFS personnel was (8.56 ± 1.02) cases per 10,000 people. All the constituents were split in three color-coded groups by injury rate – the green group for optimal rate, the yellow group for acceptable rate, and the red group for elevated rate. In each group, the average injury rates and assessments for personnel and region profiles were obtained to calculate the χ2 test and determine the indicators that most significantly affect occupational injury rates. The analysis showed that among the EMERCOM of Russia FFS personnel, occupational injury rates are higher in constituents with larger numbers of first responders (therefore, a larger share of firefighting commanders among the FFS personnel) and officers with a degree in fire safety engineering. The injury rate is also higher in constituents with greater workforce.Conclusion. Taking into account the dangerous and risky working conditions of the EMERCOM FFS personnel, firefighter professionalism requires further improvement and promotion to meet current fire and emergency prevention criteria, eliminate consequences, and develop innovative and flexible personnel solutions, allowing to maximize performance and overcome emerging problems.