moving and handling Flashcards
What is the employers duty health and safety at work act?
Maintain safe and healthy workplaces
Provide info, supervision and training
Provide equipment
Provide and enforce health and safety policy (Datix)
What are the employers responsibilities?
Avoid manual handling Assessment of risks Reduction of risks Review of risk assessments yearly Provision of info on the load (labelled w weight and centre of gravity)- patient handling risk assessments
What is the employee duty?
Work within local policy
Follow content of risk assessments
Report incidents/problems encountered- tutor and Datix
Attend training
What happens if people don’t comply with legislation?
Employee-
- Risk of prosecution
- Compromise safety- musculoskeletal injuries
Patient- Compromise patient care- friction and joint injuries/risk of litigation
Employer-
- risk prosecutions
- fail to achieve NHSLA standards
What is the NHSLA?
NHS litigation authority
Executive non departmental public body of the department of heart
Responsible for handling negligence claims made against NHS bodies
What are musculoskeletal disorders?
Covers any injury, damage or disorders of joints, tendons, muscle, cartilage, nerve or other tissues
Upper limb disorders
Lower limb disorders
Back pain
What are the symptoms of MSDs?
Pain Stiffness Weakness Tingling Numbness Cramp Swelling
What are types of MSDs?
One off trauma
Age degeneration
Cumualtive
What is age degeneration?
Wear and tear over time Affect posture and walk Weakness and slow movement Lose bone mass and density Bones more liable to break Cartilage- thinner/easier to damage Impingements on nerves
What is cumulative?
Poor moving and handling technique- bending at waist, excessive forward head positioning
Maintain natural neutral curve by good posture and good moving and handling techniques
How should you lift heavy objects?
Don’t have a top heavy posture
Bend and lift using dynamic movement sequence
- Relax knees to lower CofG
- Move feet apart w one slightly in front of the other
- Relax shoulders and back
- Maintain natural curves of spine
- Hold object w palms (avoid gripping) to reduce tension in upper limbs
- Raise head when moving to maintain curves
What are causes of MSDs?
Static/awkward posture Repetitive movements of hands/wrist Abnormal positioning of hand/wrist Forceful hand exertions Freq/prolonged use of vibrating tools Lack of upper extremity support during work Poor positioning when treating patient Poor organisation of instruments
What does forward neck flexion lead to?
Long term muscle strain
Disc herniation
Arthritis
Pinched nerves in cervical spine
Head weighs 10-12 lbs 15 degrees- 27lbs stress 30 degrees- 40lbs stress 45 degrees- 49lbs stress 60 degrees- 60lbs
What is the correct operator posture?
Sit all the way back in the chair
Adjust chair base- 5-15 degrees so knees are lower than thighs
Tilt backrest of chair towards you
Sit as close to patient as possible
Adjust patient chair height so shoulders are relaxed and forearms parallel to ground
Use modified pen grip
Use mirror to avoid twisting
Aim for no more that 20 degrees forward neck flexion
What needs to be thought about to carry out a task?
Task Organisational factors Individual capacity Load Environment Equipment/tools
