Special Operations place great physical demands on personnel. In most Navy settings, greater physical demands are associated with greater musculoskeletal injury rates. Within the Special Operations community, Special Boat operators have a unique set of risks. Small boats operating in the open ocean are subject to large shock and vibration forces. Exposure to such forces can lead to discomfort, injury and performance degradation. In an effort to begin assessing the prevalence of injuries related to operations in small Special Operations craft, a self-report survey of injuries (SBUlS) was administered to 154 operator personnel drawn from Special Boat Units 12, 20 and 22. Sample mean age was 32.0 +/- 5.9 yr., mean years of military service was 12. 0 +/- 5.5, and mean time in Special Boats was 4.7 +/- 3.0 yr. The SBUlS obtained demographic information, unit assignment and role information, past general pain levels, details up to three specific injuries, and exercise history information. Specific injury information included type and location of injury, and type and duration of care for that injury. The most prevalent type of injury was sprains and strains followed by disc problems and trauma. The most prevalent injury sites were the lower back, knee and shoulder. 94.8% injuries occurred on the job. The sample population represented 722 person-years of Special Boat Unit exposure. In this sample, injuries resulted in 145 days of hospitalization, 929 days of sick leave, 4,223 days of limited duty, 4,218 days of limited job/ mission performance, 2,294 days of lost mission training time, and 4,089 days of lost physical conditioning time. It was possible to compare hospitalization rates for this sample with rates for the Navy as a whole. Only constructionmen (CN), seamen (SN), firemen (FN), and airmen (AN) had greater hospitalization rates than SBU respondents.
Survey of Self-Reported Injuries Among Special Boat Operators
2000
23 pages
Report
No indication
English
Self-reported injuries among seafarers
Elsevier | 2003
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