Police officers face a variety of occupational hazards that can impact their health, though hearing loss is often overlooked. The nature of the job exposes officers to various sources of noise. Over time, this can lead to irreversible damage. When you understand the...
Workers’ Compensation
Vocational rehabilitation for injured police officers
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund reports that an average of 55,054 police officers suffer assaults in the line of duty each year. Some of these injuries physically or mentally affect the officers’ ability to return to their jobs. Most times,...
How do I return to work after an injury?
The Office of Workers' Compensation Programs reported the total number of cases in California as of October 22, 2023, was 11,299 for 6,618 workers. Many of these people will be off of work due to their injuries, but a time will come for most of them when they need to...
Understanding workers’ compensation in public safety professions
The American public relies on safety professionals to provide basic protections in emergencies. Risks exist when a firefighter battles a blaze, a police officer pursues a suspect or an EMT responds to a medical emergency. Despite the dangers, firefighters, law...
Common occupational risks for firefighters
The National Firefighter Protection Association reported in 2021 there were 60,750 on-the-job injuries in the industry. Of those, 32% occurred when firefighters were actively fighting a fire. This is a good indication that many of the risks for this profession may not...
Dangerous people are not the only way police can get hurt at work
In 2019, the state of California reported that people assaulted over 10,000 officers while they were on duty. While confronting dangerous people is one of the leading hazards police officers face on the job, many other risks exist in law enforcement work. Police work,...
Things to know about workers’ comp
You probably have a lot of questions if you have a current worker's comp case. While you can call the state's Division of Workers' Compensation, you can also keep reading. Here are some important things you need to know about workers' comp. What is it? State law...
Difference in disability pension and workers’ comp for the police
Police officers perform a critical service, often at significant risk to their personal health and safety. If you are a California police officer who becomes injured or ill due to your line of duty, you might wonder about your options for financial assistance. The two...
4 strategies for police officers to prevent workplace injuries
In their line of duty, police officers face unique challenges. They perform physically demanding tasks, face potential threats and work under high-stress conditions. These factors make them prone to various workplace injuries. Preventing workplace injuries is...
3 common injuries faced by first responders and firefighters
For many everyday civilians, first responders are the heroes who put themselves in harm's way to protect other people from incurring life-altering or life-ending injuries. One result of this, of course, is that first responders and firefighters commonly expose...