Measurements of the Forces needed to Move Patients in Mobile Lifting Hoists and Hospital Beds

摘要

Our measurements of the forces needed for manual handling tasks in hospitals and aged care facilities have shown that the forces for pushing wheeled loads are often higher than expected (particularly when the workplaces are not designed for their use). These high force levels were often associated with injuries in cases where only one worker performed the tasks. In one investigation of a series of serious shoulder injuries at a retirement hostel we assessed the task of moving a mobile hoist between a bedroom and an en-suite bathroom task. We found that the injuries were caused by the difficulty of moving the hoist over a ridge in the floor. The practice of moving beds up ramps has also caused a number of injuries in recent years. In one investigation we found that the task of transporting patients in their beds up a ramp in a hospital had caused three compensation cases in the course of a year. The force needed for this task was found to be excessive for one person.