Volume 12, Issue 2 (Summer- In Press 2026)
J Health Res Commun 2026, 12(2): 0-0 |
Back to browse issues page
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Ghaljahi M. Priority Organizational Interventions for Reducing Occupational Stress in Firefighters: A Policy Brief. J Health Res Commun 2026; 12 (2)
URL: http://jhc.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-1259-en.html
URL: http://jhc.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-1259-en.html
Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran.
Abstract: (23 Views)
Firefighters are among the occupational groups at high risk of occupational stress due to their continuous exposure to emergency situations, life-threatening hazards and intense psychological demands. The findings of the present study, conducted in 2020 among all firefighters employed by the Zabol Fire Department, showed that a substantial proportion of personnel experienced high levels of occupational stress, particularly in the domains of job role (81.7%) and managerial support (46.7%). These findings underscore the need for greater attention from managers and policymakers to promote occupational mental health among firefighters.
A review of the scientific evidence, together with the findings of the present study, indicates that organizational interventions including clarifying job roles, strengthening managerial and peer support, providing stress management and coping skills training and establishing a periodic occupational stress monitoring system are among the most effective strategies for reducing psychosocial risks in emergency service personnel. These interventions can facilitate the early identification of personnel at risk while enabling continuous evaluation of intervention effectiveness.
Implementation of this policy package requires close collaboration among the Zabol Fire Department, Zabol Municipality, Zabol University of Medical Sciences and other relevant stakeholders. It is recommended that implementation be carried out in a phased manner, beginning with low-cost and feasible interventions, while financial support is secured through occupational health budgets and municipal resources. Regular monitoring of key performance indicators, including the mean occupational stress score, sickness absenteeism, occupational injury rates and staff turnover, will enable evaluation of intervention outcomes and support continuous improvement of the proposed measures.
A review of the scientific evidence, together with the findings of the present study, indicates that organizational interventions including clarifying job roles, strengthening managerial and peer support, providing stress management and coping skills training and establishing a periodic occupational stress monitoring system are among the most effective strategies for reducing psychosocial risks in emergency service personnel. These interventions can facilitate the early identification of personnel at risk while enabling continuous evaluation of intervention effectiveness.
Implementation of this policy package requires close collaboration among the Zabol Fire Department, Zabol Municipality, Zabol University of Medical Sciences and other relevant stakeholders. It is recommended that implementation be carried out in a phased manner, beginning with low-cost and feasible interventions, while financial support is secured through occupational health budgets and municipal resources. Regular monitoring of key performance indicators, including the mean occupational stress score, sickness absenteeism, occupational injury rates and staff turnover, will enable evaluation of intervention outcomes and support continuous improvement of the proposed measures.
Keywords: Occupational stress, Firefighters, Zabol, HSE Questionnaire, Organizational support, Policy Brief
Type of Study: Brief Report |
Subject:
Occupational Health
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
