The incidence of inflatable rescue boat injuries in Queensland surf lifesavers

Objective: To estimate the current incidence of serious injuries in Queensland surf lifesavers related to inflatable rescue boat (IRB) use, and to describe the nature of the injuries. Design: Descriptive study. Participants and setting: The 3050 members of Queensland's 57 surf life saving clubs who drove or crewed an IRB in Queensland between July 1997 and June 1998. Main outcome measures: Incidence of serious IRE-related injuries that resulted in claims for workers compensation in 1997-1998, and type and anatomical location of injury. Results: Thirty-six IRE-related injuries were lodged with WorkCover Queensland by surf lifesavers during 1997-1998, giving an estimated crude incidence of 1.2%. Sixty-one per cent of injuries affected the right side of the body; two-thirds of these involved the knee, leg and ankle. IRE injuries occurred most often during patrol duty (39% of cases) and it was usually the crewperson (86% of cases) who was injured. Fracture and fracture-dislocations constituted a third of the injuries, with 75% occurring in the right leg and ankle. Conclusions: Despite the known incomplete reporting of these injuries, our findings suggest that IRE-related injury caused substantial morbidity among volunteer surf lifesavers. The pattern of injuries suggests biomechanically preventable causes.