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Background <p>Occupational injury accounts for the highest rate of morbidity and mortality among firefighters, surpassing other occupations. Canada is particularly susceptible to fires and consequently increased health burden. This study examines trends in firefighters’ injury and death claims across Canada, focusing on claim characteristics, mechanisms of injury and disease, and geographic distribution across provinces and territories.</p> Methods <p>Data on accepted fatality and time-loss injury claims were collected from the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) and WorkSafeBC over 15 years (2007–2021). Linear regression models were used to assess trends in time-loss injury and fatality claims. Chi-square tests were conducted to analyze the distribution of fatalities and injuries across age groups.</p> Results <p>A total of 29,499 claims were analyzed, including 1,509 fatalities and 27,990 time-loss injuries, with males representing 92.2% of injury and 99.4% of fatality claims. Cancer was the leading cause of fatalities, accounting for 84.6% of claims with a fatality rate of 993.7 per 100,000 firefighters per year. Traumatic injuries were the primary cause of time-loss claims, comprising 80.6% of cases with a rate of 17,859.1 per 100,000 firefighters per year. Mental health-related claims saw a significant 231.2% increase. The “65 and over” age group had the highest fatality claims (<i>n</i> = 826, 54.7%), with statistically significant differences observed in the distribution of fatalities and injuries between age groups (<i>p</i> = 0.002 &lt; 0.05). Ontario reported the most fatalities (<i>n</i> = 713, 47.3%) and time-loss claims (<i>n</i> = 8591, 30.7%), followed by Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta.</p> Conclusion <p>This study highlights the increasing burden of cancer among Canadian firefighters and the sharp rise in mental health-related claims, emphasizing the need for further research into the occupational health risks faced by firefighters to improve their long-term well-being.</p>

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Occupational injury among firefighters in Canada: a trends analysis of fatality and time-loss injury claims (2007–2021)

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月17日

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  • Samar Al-Hajj,
  • Larry Thomas,
  • Len Garis,
  • Khalil El-Asmar,
  • Farah El-Hajj,
  • Ian Pike

摘要

Background

Occupational injury accounts for the highest rate of morbidity and mortality among firefighters, surpassing other occupations. Canada is particularly susceptible to fires and consequently increased health burden. This study examines trends in firefighters’ injury and death claims across Canada, focusing on claim characteristics, mechanisms of injury and disease, and geographic distribution across provinces and territories.

Methods

Data on accepted fatality and time-loss injury claims were collected from the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) and WorkSafeBC over 15 years (2007–2021). Linear regression models were used to assess trends in time-loss injury and fatality claims. Chi-square tests were conducted to analyze the distribution of fatalities and injuries across age groups.

Results

A total of 29,499 claims were analyzed, including 1,509 fatalities and 27,990 time-loss injuries, with males representing 92.2% of injury and 99.4% of fatality claims. Cancer was the leading cause of fatalities, accounting for 84.6% of claims with a fatality rate of 993.7 per 100,000 firefighters per year. Traumatic injuries were the primary cause of time-loss claims, comprising 80.6% of cases with a rate of 17,859.1 per 100,000 firefighters per year. Mental health-related claims saw a significant 231.2% increase. The “65 and over” age group had the highest fatality claims (n = 826, 54.7%), with statistically significant differences observed in the distribution of fatalities and injuries between age groups (p = 0.002 < 0.05). Ontario reported the most fatalities (n = 713, 47.3%) and time-loss claims (n = 8591, 30.7%), followed by Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta.

Conclusion

This study highlights the increasing burden of cancer among Canadian firefighters and the sharp rise in mental health-related claims, emphasizing the need for further research into the occupational health risks faced by firefighters to improve their long-term well-being.