The field of healthcare has its own hazards when it comes to ergonomics. With the goal of preventing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), finding the right equipment and tasks to prevent injury is a high priority for healthcare leaders.
OSHA has some great advice about how to best approach ergonomics in healthcare. It’s worth mentioning, too, that Compliance Training Online has a course that addresses healthcare ergonomics.
First, let’s talk a bit about the need for ergonomics in general. According to OSHA’s website, ergonomics is meant to be a means to adjust the work environment and rules in order to prevent injuries. They even definite it as “the science of fitting the job to that worker.”
To that end, there are potential hazards that are a part of everyday work life for healthcare facilities, especially nursing homes. There, the residents can be dependent on employees for all daily activities, including the most basic ones.
Consider the fact that handling and transferring patients are a main source of stressors and injuries. That’s why OSHA recommends that companies minimize the need for manual lifting patients or residents, with forgoing lifting altogether as the best possible scenario.
If that’s not feasible, OSHA does offer insight into best practices related to lifting while on the job. They are as follows:
- Never transfer patients or residents when you are off balance.
- Ensure that lift loads are close to the body.
- Use team lifts or mechanical assistance whenever possible, particularly if a patient has fallen.
- Only allow a certain number of lifts per worker, per day.
- Avoid any heavy lifting, especially if it may involve the spine being rotated.
- Make sure employees are fully trained in how to use mechanical assistance.
Companies should perform an analysis of potential hazards with ergonomics in mind. Among the tasks to watch for are ones that involve repetition, awkward postures, contact stress and vibrations. Using employee surveys and workplace walkthroughs to identify these issues are important to a healthcare company’s overall safety and health program.
As far as hazard control and prevention goes, OSHA recommends two different methodologies that can help. The two categories are:
Administrative controls
This includes an assessment of patient or resident needs, coupled with adequate staffing and admittance policies that are restricted according to employee workplace safety as well as patient safety.
Engineering controls
This is where hazards are removed or isolated in the workplace, and it includes a training program. On that note, we offer a training certification course for Healthcare Ergonomics. It covers the best practices for ergonomics in a healthcare setting and is ideal for physicians, nurses, PTs, technicians or anyone else that may encounter ergonomic challenges in the workplace.
To learn more about how we can empower employees to prioritize health and safety, go to our special healthcare training and certification site.