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A human component to consider in your emergency management plans: the critical incident stress factor.

Kowalski KM

Saf Sci 1995 Jul; 20(1):115-123

https://doi.org/10.1016/0925-7535(94)00072-B

20024595

In emergency management, the effects of stress on the performance of emergency personnel, typically have been overlooked or regarded as too enigmatic to quantify. This paper discusses the concept of Critical Incident Stress in responders to emergencies. It presents the rationale for considering stress as a significant factor in the management of emergencies. It is proposed that Critical Incident Stress Debriefing in a disaster can improve the effectiveness of response teams on site, their turnaround time on site, and post-disaster time off the job. Critical Incident Stress intervention also can mitigate potential deleterious emotional effects associated with emergency work. This paper, prepared by a U.S. Bureau of Mines researcher, offers some general ideas on how this specific human factor may be incorporated into a plan for emergency management. The impact of stress on emergency workers is presented as a missing component in present emergency management plans.

Mining-industry; Emergency-responders; Stress; Traumatic-injuries; Psychological-stress; Psychological-effects; Mine-disasters

NIOSH, Pittsburgh Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 18070, Pittsburgh, PA 15236

SSCIEO

19950701

Journal Article

1995

1

0925-7535

PRC

Safety Science

PA