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A Human Factors Analysis of an EMS Crew's Exposure to Carbon Monoxide

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 June 2012

Matthew J. Levy ,
Kevin G. Seaman  and
J. Lee Levy
Matthew J. Levy*
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland USA Howard County Fire and Rescue, Howard County, Maryland USA
Kevin G. Seaman
Affiliation:
Howard County Fire and Rescue, Howard County, Maryland USA
J. Lee Levy
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland USA
*
Correspondence: Matthew J. Levy, DO, MSc Department of Emergency Medicine Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 5801 Smith Ave, Suite 220 Baltimore, MD 21209 USA E-mail [email protected]
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Abstract

The safety of personnel and resources is considered to be a cornerstone of prehospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS) operations and practice. However, barriers exist that limit the comprehensive reporting of EMS safety data. To overcome these barriers, many high risk industries utilize a technique called Human Factors Analysis (HFA) as a means of error reduction. The goal of this approach is to analyze processes for the purposes of making an environment safer for patients and providers. This report describes an application of this approach to safety incident analysis following a situation during which a paramedic ambulance crew was exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide.

Levy MJ, Seaman KG, Levy JL. A human factors analysis of an EMS crew's exposure to carbon monoxide. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27(3):1-2.

Keywords

carbon monoxideEmergency Medical Servicespoisoning
Type
Brief Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 27 , Issue 3 , June 2012 , pp. 297 - 298
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2012

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