Presentation Title
Is worn equipment associated with rates of injury or lost work time in tactical personnel?: A systematic literature review
Abstract
Police officers and military personnel, also termed tactical personnel, sustain significantly increased rates of injury compared to the civilian population. The demanding nature of the work that tactical personnel perform requires the use of certain equipment in order to protect and augment this population. Equipment such as body armor, load carriage vests, and belt holsters are commonly worn for everyday use. Along with this, nonfatal, musculoskeletal injuries account for significant lost time from work and financial losses spent on potentially avoidable injuries. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between load carriage equipment and rates of injury or lost work time in tactical personnel. A systematic review of the literature including four databases was conducted and articles were assessed against inclusion and exclusion criteria. The articles in this review were appraised for quality and data was extracted to examine the association between load carriage equipment and injury and/or lost time at work. Data collection is ongoing. It is hypothesized that an association between load carriage equipment and musculoskeletal injuries will be observed.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Elizabeth Sargent
Faculty/Staff Collaborators
Nancy Bianchi , Robin Orr, Karen Westervelt
Status
Graduate
Student College
College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Program/Major
Physical Therapy
Primary Research Category
Health Sciences
Is worn equipment associated with rates of injury or lost work time in tactical personnel?: A systematic literature review
Police officers and military personnel, also termed tactical personnel, sustain significantly increased rates of injury compared to the civilian population. The demanding nature of the work that tactical personnel perform requires the use of certain equipment in order to protect and augment this population. Equipment such as body armor, load carriage vests, and belt holsters are commonly worn for everyday use. Along with this, nonfatal, musculoskeletal injuries account for significant lost time from work and financial losses spent on potentially avoidable injuries. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between load carriage equipment and rates of injury or lost work time in tactical personnel. A systematic review of the literature including four databases was conducted and articles were assessed against inclusion and exclusion criteria. The articles in this review were appraised for quality and data was extracted to examine the association between load carriage equipment and injury and/or lost time at work. Data collection is ongoing. It is hypothesized that an association between load carriage equipment and musculoskeletal injuries will be observed.