# Service-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries in Polish Firefighters: A 2021–2023 Accidents Analysis

## TL;DR

This study analyzed musculoskeletal injuries in Polish firefighters from 2021 to 2023, finding that sports activities were a major cause.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the causes and patterns of musculoskeletal injuries among Polish firefighters over a three-year period.

## Key findings

- Sports activities were the leading cause of musculoskeletal injuries, increasing from 45% to 63% over the study period.
- Injuries predominantly affected the lower extremities during sports activities.
- Spring was the most common season for injuries, possibly due to terrain difficulty and increased activity after winter.

## Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze service-related musculoskeletal injuries of professional firefighters in 2021–2023. Material and methods: Analysis was completed on the basis of annual reports on the injury status of the State Fire Service (SFS) obtained from the Office of Occupational Safety and Health (OOSH) at General Headquarters. The report databases were searched using keywords typical of bone injuries and including anatomical names: “sprain”, “fracture”, “dislocation”, “bone injury”, “bone”, “joint”, “spine”, “skull and “musculoskeletal injury”. Results: Events matching the analysis target of N = 1944 (2021—n = 707; 2022—n = 589; 2023—n = 648) accounted for 49.4% from all accidents in the State Fire Service in Poland in the analyzed period. A significant increase in the analyzed period 2021–2023 was observed in events where the cause of injury was sports activities (45% vs. 49% vs. 63%, p < 0.001). A significant decrease was observed in events where the cause of injury was interventions (26% vs. 27% vs. 17%, p < 0.001), technical and maintenance (TM) work (8% vs. 6% vs. 5%, p = 0.008) and category “other” (15% vs. 14% vs. 11%, p = 0.034). Statistically significant differences were found between cause and the type of injury (p = 0.002), season (p < 0.001) and the location of injury (p < 0.001). Conclusions: A large number of musculoskeletal injuries are associated with sports activities, which is inherent in the risks of the activities. The lower extremities are most affected by injuries during sports activities The spring period dominates in the season category, which may be related to the difficulty of the terrain and return to increased sports activity after the winter period.