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Year:
2017

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Volume:
20

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Issue:
1

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Article:
5
safery science monitor
Introduction

A literature review (Engström, Angrén, Björnstig and Saveman, 2017) of mass-casualty incidents in the underground mining industry, with emphasis on factors relevant to the EMS (Emergency Medical Services) identified only a few scientific reports about rescue operations and provided pre-hospital care. Most reports covered information about risk factors for mine incidents, with one exception being the Quecreek mine incident in 2002, in which the rescue operation, also in terms of EMS problems, are addressed (Frank, 2002; Tapia, 2002). Furthermore, in a Swedish exploratory study (Aléx, Joanson, Tageson and Saveman, accepted) addressing preparedness of EMS for underground major rescue operations, about half of the responders stated that they felt unprepared to work under these conditions. Those few trained in handling underground mine incidents, however, reported a higher level of preparedness for carrying out rescue operations than those who were not. Only about one third of the EMS personnel, working in a region with mining industry, had some education or training to increase their understanding of major underground incidents.

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Author

SOFIA KARLSSON

Department of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, Section of Surgery, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden

LINA GYLLENCREUTZ

Department of Nursing, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden

GUNNAR ENGSTRÖM

Department of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, Section of Surgery, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden and Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden.

ULF BJÖRNSTIG

Department of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, Section of Surgery, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden.

BRITT-INGER SAVEMAN

Department of Nursing, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden.

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