Safety and Health at Work

Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (산업안전보건연구원)
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A Cluster of Health Symptoms After a Law Enforcement Operation: A Case Study

  • Sophia K. Chiu (Division of Field Studies and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) ;
  • Jennifer Hornsby-Myers (Emergency Preparedness and Response Office, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) ;
  • Christopher Iverson (Division of Field Studies and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) ;
  • Douglas Trout (Division of Field Studies and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Received : 2022.04.26
  • Accepted : 2022.08.15
  • Published : 2022.12.30
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Abstract

Law enforcement officers (LEOs) often encounter rapidly changing and uncontrolled situations that expose them to various hazards. A law enforcement agency requested an evaluation by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) when multiple LEOs reported illness after executing a search warrant and taking a suspect into custody. NIOSH investigators interviewed LEOs and reviewed medical records, forensic laboratory results for collected evidence, and environmental testing results of samples taken after the operation. Two-thirds (25 of 38) of LEOs who participated in the operation reported ≥1 symptom. Eleven LEOs met a case definition for influenza-like illness (ILI). Members of one unit were more likely to have ILI than non-members (prevalence ratio (PR), 4.1; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-13.0; p = 0.01). Influenza vaccination was associated with a lower prevalence of ILI (PR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1-0.9; p = 0.02). Preventing employees from working while ill and annual influenza vaccination might prevent similar occurrences.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The authors thank all of the law enforcement officers who participated in the evaluation and Randall J. Nett and Wesley R. Attwood for providing feedback on this manuscript.

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