Police Accidents?

Police have hard day at office with injuries. NEW figures show more police workplace injuries occur in the office, not when confronting violent thugs. Almost half of Work Cover claims in 2010-2011 were for trips, slips, falls and moving things in the office. Cdr Robert Clegg, of the police People Department Safety Division, said only 12 per cent of claims involved arresting offenders. He said of the 1265 claims made in the past financial year, 700 were for sprains and strains and 160 were for officers injured arresting people.

"These statistics quash the myth injuries are mostly caused in the operational environment," he said. One officer suffered a long-term back injury when helping ambulance officers lift someone on to a stretcher. Another was hurt getting out of a car. Cdr Clegg said officers with psychiatric problems took the longest time to recover. The problems could be triggered by being exposed to critical incidents for long periods.

Workplace injuries accounted for nearly 42,000 shifts being lost a year and officers had to be vigilant about safety at all times, he said.

Source: Sunday Herald. 27 November 2011