A considerable amount of employees incur injuries in professions with mandatory on-duty
fitness training. The training is necessary for maintaining a good health status,
physical condition and strength in professions requiring such qualities. Injuries
in Swedish firemen from on-duty fitness training between 1992 and 1998 were selected
retrospectively from the Information System of Occupational Injuries (ISA) at the
National Board of Occupational Safety and Health and, if having caused a sick-leave
exceeding 2 weeks, to the Labour Market Insurance (AMF Insurance). The latter comprised
injuries from 1995 only. During the seven-year period 1468 injuries from fitness training
occurred in male firemen. With an estimated 147 h per man and year the injury incidence
was 2.6 per 10 000 h of exposure. The mean number of days of absence from work was
24.1 days (SD 39.8). In 1995, the mean cost per injury for medical treatment was close
to 7000 Euro and for production loss almost 4500 Euro. By far the major part of the
injuries, 75 %, occurred during team and contact sports (primarily floorball and soccer)
and this sport category also accounted for 83 % of the medical costs and 78 % of the
costs for production loss. It is suggested that a restriction of team and contact
sports as mandatory on-duty fitness training for firemen should be tested and evaluated
concerning the injury incidence.
Epidemiology, costs, occupational injuries, sports injuries.
