Professor Anne Harriss developed these CPD activities to help occupational health professionals better understand what an OH service should include in emergency services such as police, fire and rescue.
Activity 1
Read the blog of Dr John Harrison, Senior Medical Advisor at the National Police Wellbeing Service , which provides an overview on wellbeing in UK Police forces.
Activity 2
The police are exposed to a number of hazards. Here, the Australian Institute of Criminology highlights some of these hazards. Consider the potential implications for occupational health.
Activity 3
Frontline police officers must be physically fit. The National Police Chief’s Council has considered job-related fitness testing for high-risk roles such as armed policing or diving.
Consider the recommendations made by the Fitness Testing Working Group at the NPCC when evaluating your own fitness for police work. The College of Policing also published job related fitness standards.
Firefighters must be physically fit. The Modern Firefighter Fitness Guide of the UK Government and the Firefighter Fitness Best Practice Guide of the Fire Brigades Union should be familiarised with, noting the differences for women and age.
Activity 5
The National Police Wellbeing Service, launched in 2019, offers support and guidance to police forces throughout England and Wales for the development of organisational wellbeing. The service has a lot of influence, since it’s associated with the College of Policing. It also works closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council as well as the Home Office.
Their guidance was used to develop the Surrey and Sussex OH services highlighted in in our article. is a set of recommendations for occupational standards.
Activity 6
The police, firefighter and rescuers are all at risk for witnessing psychologically traumatic incidents that can lead to post traumatic disorder (PTSD). Organisational psychologist Dr Ian Hesketh, and occupational health psychologist Noreen Tehrani published an on psychological trauma risk-management for UK policing. This article can be applied by fire and rescue service personnel as well.
Police Care was established to help veterans, serving police officers, volunteers and their families who may have suffered physical or mental harm due to their work. The charity is funded through donations, and it is not affiliated with the police force. Learn more on the psychological support that they offer
The Police Federation’s website has a police trauma checklist and the College of Policing has PTSD guidelines.
Activity 7
Imagine you’ve applied for a job as a OH nurse in a fire-rescue service, and that you were shortlisted for a position equivalent to a band 6-level post. How would you prepare yourself for an interview?
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