It comes after an unsuccessful appeal at the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) for a more generous death and disability pension, which currently allows for two years of income protection while injured paramedics rehabilitate and retrain.

Paramedics have threatened to send double the amount of staff to routine call outs requiring lifting in a bid to reduce the risk of injury on the job, including routine responses to someone who slips in the shower.

Australian Paramedic Association state secretary Gary Wilson, who is also a Gundagai paramedic, said local ambulance officers would take a more conservative approach to lifting people out of dangerous situations because they don’t think the injury cover is adequate.

“At the back of their mind, paramedics will be wondering if they injure themselves, who will look after their families and feed their children?” Mr Wilson said.

“As an example, two ambulance officers attending a motor vehicle accident have to lift the average person – who now weighs close to 100kg – and the 40kg stretcher. 

“There’s few other industries where anyone is required to lift those sorts of loads, let alone under extreme time pressure, outside in the weather, in the awkward confines of a crumpled car, and on uneven surfaces.

“After two years of rehab the government can wash their hands of us and throw us on the scrapheap.”

Paramedics are calling for parity with police officers, who receive seven years of compensation under their death and disability scheme.

“We’ve been treated like the poor country cousins of the other emergency services,” Mr Wilson said.

“We’re already short at least 500 paramedics across the state and if we have to change our practices to ensure safety, it’s only going to get worse.

“In the ambulance organisation, the vast majority of jobs are on the front line and if you have to relocate to Sydney if you’ve been injured and need a job behind a desk.

“Most of us couldn’t afford to upend our entire lives.”

Wagga MP Daryl Maguire said the IRC was an independent umpire at arm’s length from the political process, but accepted the union had a right to campaign for better conditions.