Emergency workers need proactive injury prevention strategies

Yet, while health and safety conversations for emergency workers focus heavily on personal protective equipment (PPE), such measures do nothing to address the silent, internal risks of musculoskeletal (MSK) injury. With MSK conditions among the leading causes of absence in emergency services, can we really say these workers are “protected”?

The hidden MSK burden

Musculoskeletal conditions, responsible for 15.5 % of all UK sickness absence and 7.8 million lost work-days last year, already keep 5,121 police officers on recuperative duties and a further 3,055 on long-term sick leave nationwide. In UK fire services alone, MSK injuries accounted for 32 % of all sickness absence in 2023/24, equivalent to 116,907 lost shifts.

These figures highlight the significant organisational costs that accumulate quietly behind the scenes. Absences not only impact the individual, who must live with chronic pain or long-term injury, but also disrupt entire organisations. 

When ignored or tolerated, the consequences ripple outward:

• For individuals: ongoing pain, reduced mobility, and often secondary impacts on mental health
• For organisations: staff shortages, rising recruitment and training costs, reduced operational readiness
• For teams: declining morale and workforce  resilience over time

Unlike visible trauma, these injuries remain largely unseen.

Why gear alone isn’t enough

It’s easy to equate PPE solely with protective gear but it extends far beyond that. While helmets prevent head injuries and fire-resistant clothing shields against flames, what protective measures are put in place to prevent lower back strain or help rehabilitate from a joint injury? 

Protecting workers also means proactively protecting their MSK health. This looks like embedded, personalised MSK support within organisations, support that is prioritised, funded, and accessible, not treated as an afterthought. Without this, emergency services risk leaving a dangerous gap in workforce health, where workers are technically “protected” but still unfit to serve.

Towards proactive protection

If true protection means more than surviving today’s hazards, it must also mean preventing tomorrow’s injuries. Emergency services can lead the way by moving away from reactive measures and implementing:

• Job-specific strength and conditioning programmes that prepare workers’ bodies for real-world demands
• Accessible physiotherapy and early triage, ensuring issues are managed before they escalate
• A wellbeing culture that normalises early reporting of pain rather than encouraging workers to “push through.”

Injury prevention must sit alongside PPE in the same safety mindset, not as an optional extra.

The role of digital MSK solutions

Digital health tools make these strategies more scalable and accessible.Personalised rehabilitation plans can be delivered through mobile apps, giving staff practical guidance anytime, anywhere. Remote physiotherapy support and progress monitoring reduce the need for repeated in-person appointments, particularly important for services stretched across wide geographies.

A firefighter spotting early signs of back strain via an app-based assessment, and beginning guided rehab immediately, is far more likely to avoid long-term absence. This is what protection looks like in practice: smarter, earlier, more personalised.
Protecting emergency workers has always meant equipping them for danger. But danger doesn’t come only in the form of fire, violence, or chemical exposure; it comes in the daily tasks that silently wear down their bodies. To keep these professionals healthy, resilient, and able to serve, leaders must expand their definition of protection to include proactive MSK prevention

Reducing sick days is important, but ultimately, MSK prevention is about safeguarding the strength and longevity of those who keep society safe every day.