Importance of continuous training in occupational safety and health as a tool to reduce accidents among operational personnel of the Rumiñahui fire department.

Abstract

Occupational health and safety (OHS) focuses on protecting the well-being, safety, and social welfare of employees in all types of jobs. The study aimed to analyze existing scientific evidence on the importance of continuous training in occupational health and safety as a tool for reducing accidents among operational personnel in the fire department. The methodological approach is based on a retrospective and descriptive literature review from scientific sources in PubMed, Elsevier, and Google Scholar that meet the following inclusion criteria: articles published between 2020 and 2025, published in Spanish and English, with full and free accessibility. The literature review revealed that the convergence of acute physical and chronic psychological demands in firefighting requires a holistic, multilevel occupational health and safety intervention framework that goes beyond traditional compliance with safety standards to address subtle but pervasive risk factors. Continuous and specialized training is the most relevant intervention for improving occupational safety and health (OSH) and reducing accident rates among firefighters. It is concluded that preventive techniques supported by practical simulations and/or exercises of possible risk events significantly outperform traditional theoretical learning. Continuous training focused on occupational safety and health ensures that firefighters not only obtain information but also develop resilient skills.