Health Care Services - Occupational Safety and Health Guide

Occupational Safety and Health Branch

Labour Department

Manual Handling of PatientsManual Handling of PatientsManual Handling of Patients

This guide is prepared bythe Occupational Safety and Health Branch,Labour Department

This edition 2004

This guidebook is issued free of charge and can be obtained from offices of theOccupational Safety and Health Branch, Labour Department. It can also bedownloaded from website of the Labour Department at http://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/oh/OHB57b.pdf. Addresses and telephone numbers of the offices canbe found in website of the Department at http://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/tele/osh.htm or call 2559 2297.

This guide may be freely reproduced except for advertising, endorsement orcommercial purposes. Please acknowledge the source as "Health Care Services -Occupational Safety and Health Guide (Manual Handling of Patients)", published bythe Labour Department.

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Contents

Are you the victim? ......................................................... 2

Common causes of musculoskeletal disorders ................. 4

Managing manual handling of patients ........................... 7

Further information ........................................................ 16

Health Care Services - Occupational Safety and Health Guide

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Are you the victim?

One day, Ah Mei returned from work asusual, but she was not feeling well. Atnight her back pain was so serious thatshe could not fall asleep and had to seektreatment at the accident and emergencydepartment of a hospital. In fact, Ah Meisprained her back that afternoon while shewas helping a patient get out of his bed.She felt pain in her back and immediatelyinformed her supervisor. After resting fora while, she felt alright and continued withher work again.

The accident happened a few monthsago. During her sick leave in these fewmonths, Ah Mei had to regularlyconsult a doctor and undergo sessionsof physiotherapy. However, up to nowshe has not yet fully recovered. Neithercould she do household work nor giveher baby a hug. She used to beenergetic and extrovert, but now shecould only stay at home in low spirit,for she was unable to go travelling andmountaineering as she did in the past,and she even had difficulty in playingmahjong.

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Health Care Services - Occupational Safety and Health Guide

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To avoid a recurrence of her injury,Ah Mei contemplated changing herjob after recovery, but she wasworried that she could not find onewith similar pay. Although Ah Meicould receive compensation for herinjury, she always felt that this couldnot compensate for her physical andpsychological traumas.

The injury also affected Ah Mei’ssupervisor, Mrs Lam. The departmentunder her charge lost an experiencedand diligent worker, and there was aneed to immediately train anotherworker to take up Ah Mei’s job. Thishas a significant bearing on theoperation of the whole department.

No matter whether you are an employer or employee, have you ever imagined thatthis might happen to you? In fact, the incident could have been completely avoidedif you had paid attention to the correct methods for the manual handling of patients.

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Common Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders

Awkward postures in handling patients are likely to cause injuries such assprains, strains and back injuries. Some injuries will cause instant pain; but insome cases, pains may arise after working for a period of time. Commoncauses of musculoskeletal disorders are:

Overloading the back

Excessive twisting and over-reachingof the back, wrist or neck

Excessive bending to help abedridden patient to sit upwill cause great stress to theback.

Helping a patient to transferfrom a bed to a wheelchair, anemployee has to make a lot oft w i s t i n g a n d t u r n i n gmovements that are likely tocause injuries.

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Health Care Services - Occupational Safety and Health Guide

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Transporting a patientin the wrong manner

Unforeseen situations

Lifting operations that exceedemployees’ individual capability

In a handling operation thatinvolves a patient relying onauxiliary medical equipment,extra care should be taken inorder to avoid accidents.

Unexpected weight bearingwill cause injuries to theemployee.

Handling tasks that exceedone’s physical limits maycause injuries to oneselfand other people.

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Insufficient space

Wet or slippery floors or other obstacles

Insufficient spacemay prevent theemployee frommain ta in ing acorrect and safeposture.

W e t o rs l i p p e r yf l o o ri n c r e a s e sthe risk ofaccidents.

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Health Care Services - Occupational Safety and Health Guide

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Managing Manual Handling of Patients

Conducting an assessment beforehand

The responsible personshould conduct a safetyand health assessmenton the work processesfor handling patients,and t ake e f f e c t i vep r e v e n t i v e a n dprotective measures.

Before handling apatient, individualemployees shouldmake an on-the-spot assessment towork out the bestway for carrying outthe task.

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Tasks

Reduce the risk of injury byapplying correct methods and safehandling techniques.

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Health Care Services - Occupational Safety and Health Guide

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Using suitable mechanicalaids reduces risks.

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Adjusting the working heightof a transfer on the same levelreduces the risk of injury.

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Reducing the load

U s i n g a l i g h tmobile chair withwheels reduces theload as no lifting orpulling is required.

Share the load byteam lifting.

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M a k i n g u s e o fmechanical aids canreduce the e f fo r trequired. (Please notet h a t t h e l i f t i n gequipment should notbe overloaded and itshould be regularlychecked and properlymaintained.)

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Health Care Services - Occupational Safety and Health Guide

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The working environment

Provision of sufficientspace can avoid incorrectpostures, and passagewaysshould always be kept clearof obstructions.

Warning signs should beplaced on slippery floor andspilled water be promptlycleared.

Provision of sufficient lightingmay reduce the risk of strikingagainst objects and tripping.

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Individual capability

Assign employees with suitabletasks that are commensuratew i t h t h e i r i n d i v i d u a lcapabilities. Encourage them touse auxi l iary equipment,mechanical aids and teamlifting.

The responsible person mustprovide employees withappropriate training so thatthey know the principles andtechniques of safe handling ofpatients and the proper use ofmechanical aids.

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Health Care Services - Occupational Safety and Health Guide

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Other matters

Wearing appropriate clothescan avoid obstructing correctpostures and movements.

Mechanical aids must beregularly maintained andrepaired to ascertain that wheelsof chairs, trolleys and beds arefunctioning well so as to reducethe effort required and the riskof bodily injuries.

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Further information

For further information or assistance, you can contact the OccupationalSafety and Health Branch, Labour Department.

Address :15/F, Harbour Buiding, 38 Pier Road,

Central, Hong Kong

Telephone :2852 4041

Fax :2581 2049

Home page address :http://www.labour.gov.hk

E-mail address :enquiry@labour.gov.hk

Any employee suspected to have an occupational disease may go to theLabour Department’s occupational health clinic for treatment.

Address :2/F, Kwun Tong Jockey Club Health Centre,

457 Kwun Tong Road, Kowloon

(Next to Kwun Tong MTR)

Telephone :2343 7133

Information on the services offered by the Occupational Safety and HealthCouncil can be obtained through their hotline at 2739 9000.

AcknowledgementWe wish to express our thanks to the Hospital Authority for its assistance which enables this

pamphlet to be published successfully.

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