Would you wear a helmet during transports?

[Quakefire]

I found a toque that integrated a gel like substance that stiffens on impact, supposed to be as good as a helmet.

That being said I wouldn't voluntarily wear a helmet, except for maybe one rig, it has a poorly placed grab bar that if it misses my forehead, always connects with the back of my head

[spenac]

What is the difficulty with placing a helmet on in the patient compartment? I wish we had them as I have actually suffered multiple concussions from being thrown just from a bad road or bad driving while taking care of patients. Now I have to wonder will I end up like the old football players. We are not talking double digit concussions being a problem but single digit according to news about football players. When you factor my concussions from cowboying, fighting, sports, etc I am well into double digit serious concussions. Had I bothered not to "Cowboy Up" and would have worn the gear you see so many star rodeo people wearing now I would have limited many then, and with a helmet in the patient compartment I would have probably not have suffered any in EMS.

As to how to auscultate etc many have ear openings. So not an issue or you could put them on just prior to going in motion. As to interfering in a code. How? They do not add that much to your head size and you are not transporting while doing CPR per current ACLS.

As to the crap of where will it stop? I hope the movement for safer working environment does not stop.

Honestly this reminds me of the super hero complex so many here bash fire fighters and vollys for having. Yet now its ok as because requiring someone to have safety equipment infringes on your rights. HMMM double standard seems to me.

[tcripp]

Failure to read thread.

Did you ever think that maybe I was restating without stating that I was restating?

[akflightmedic]

Failure to read thread.

AK, you don't have to be running hot, fast, or even with a critical patient to wipe out. I've been in some serious accidents while just cruising at low speed, so that's not really a factor. Again, regardless of the numbers, the risk is unacceptable when the prevention is so easy.

RIP Bandaidpatrol.

Knowing me personally like you do, I am insulted you feel the need to say that to me. Of course any accident can happen at any speed, critical patients or no patients...based on your position, every person in a moving vehicle should wear a helmet...I mean the prevention is so easy, think of the sheer number of head injuries we could prevent in the general populace versus the very small number within EMS specifically.

[Kiwiology]

Only if on the short bus

[tniuqs]

RIP Bandaidpatrol.

Agreed but his spirit lives on.

I will bite on this one again ... just what type of message does one send to a patient when one straps on a lid during a ground transport, maybe some NASCAR stickers would go well, yeah think ?

That said the vast majority of Paramedics/ EMTs would need to get the jumbo size would they not ?

Just where can I order an orthopedic hat ?

cheers

[Aussieaid]

I don't really have a strong opinion either way on wearing helmets in ground ambulances. I see both points of view.

In saying that I always put my seatbelt on when I am in a ground ambulance and I can honestly say that I rarely see a ground crew member do the same in the back of the vehicle. I usually make my partner put theirs on as well. I understand the issue with not wearing it when doing CPR but really what percentage of the time on total calls are you actually doing CPR? Once you have completed a procedure make a habit of getting back in belt. It is not as effective but you can also put the seatbelt on and loosen it (I am not saying it should be done all the time) to complete procedures so at least you are not going to be thrown completely around the vehicle with sudden stops or in an accident. As soon as you have done what you need to do retighten your belt. I really liked the harness with the automatic recoil (I don't know the term for that!) that one ambulance had so you can lean forward and not have to worry about loosening and tightening belts.

I am probably more conscious of the belts and helmets as they are standard in the helicopter. We have to keep our belts (and they are complete with bilateral shoulder harnesses not just lap belts) on all the time unless we are cleared out by the pilot. Then we do what we have to do and get back in belt as soon as possible. Rarely do we actually have to get out of belt but then we have a lot less room to maneuver around in in the aircraft and can easily reach mostly everything while in belts. Occasionally I will slip the shoulder straps off and loosen the lap belt but I rarely have to get completely out of belt.

I wouldn't advocate for the full helmets such as we wear in the helicopters but even with those there is no procedure including CPR that cannot be done with a helmet on. We NEVER take our helmets off in flight and we have less room to do CPR in a helicopter than in an ambulance. (Actually it is a good thing to have the helmet then as it cushions the blows when your head is hitting the roof after each compression ). The other advantage to our helmets is the built in visor that means you no excuse for not wearing eye protection when you should be).

Just thought I'd add in my 0.05 cents worth!

[FireMedic65]

Knowing me personally like you do, I am insulted you feel the need to say that to me. Of course any accident can happen at any speed, critical patients or no patients...based on your position, every person in a moving vehicle should wear a helmet...I mean the prevention is so easy, think of the sheer number of head injuries we could prevent in the general populace versus the very small number within EMS specifically.

Right, I could have been waffled by a semi on my way home earlier, in my POV. I could have been hit by a car when I was walking across the street, or even on the side walk. Shit happens... it sucks.

I don't really have a strong opinion either way on wearing helmets in ground ambulances. I see both points of view.

In saying that I always put my seatbelt on when I am in a ground ambulance and I can honestly say that I rarely see a ground crew member do the same in the back of the vehicle. I usually make my partner put theirs on as well. I understand the issue with not wearing it when doing CPR but really what percentage of the time on total calls are you actually doing CPR? Once you have completed a procedure make a habit of getting back in belt. It is not as effective but you can also put the seatbelt on and loosen it (I am not saying it should be done all the time) to complete procedures so at least you are not going to be thrown completely around the vehicle with sudden stops or in an accident. As soon as you have done what you need to do retighten your belt. I really liked the harness with the automatic recoil (I don't know the term for that!) that one ambulance had so you can lean forward and not have to worry about loosening and tightening belts.

I am probably more conscious of the belts and helmets as they are standard in the helicopter. We have to keep our belts (and they are complete with bilateral shoulder harnesses not just lap belts) on all the time unless we are cleared out by the pilot. Then we do what we have to do and get back in belt as soon as possible. Rarely do we actually have to get out of belt but then we have a lot less room to maneuver around in in the aircraft and can easily reach mostly everything while in belts. Occasionally I will slip the shoulder straps off and loosen the lap belt but I rarely have to get completely out of belt.

I wouldn't advocate for the full helmets such as we wear in the helicopters but even with those there is no procedure including CPR that cannot be done with a helmet on. We NEVER take our helmets off in flight and we have less room to do CPR in a helicopter than in an ambulance. (Actually it is a good thing to have the helmet then as it cushions the blows when your head is hitting the roof after each compression ). The other advantage to our helmets is the built in visor that means you no excuse for not wearing eye protection when you should be).

Just thought I'd add in my 0.05 cents worth!

That is well worth more than 5 1/100th of a cent

[Dustdevil]

Knowing me personally like you do, I am insulted you feel the need to say that to me.

Well, it's not just you and me rapping here. There are a lot of people listening, so I wanted to make sure that others did not make any mistaken assumptions about what either of us were saying.

Of course any accident can happen at any speed, critical patients or no patients...based on your position, every person in a moving vehicle should wear a helmet...I mean the prevention is so easy, think of the sheer number of head injuries we could prevent in the general populace versus the very small number within EMS specifically.

But that's not the focus of this thread. We are speaking very specifically about EMS, which is an occupational situation, not a personal one.

[spenac]

Honestly this reminds me of the super hero complex so many here bash fire fighters and vollys for having. Yet now its ok as because requiring someone to have safety equipment infringes on your rights. HMMM double standard seems to me.

Should not surprise me when so many choose not to wear seatbelts when they could with little to no effort.