Manual handling is known to be a major contributory factor in the high level of musculoskeletal injury among health care workers. Evaluation of moving and handling training for pre. The way patient handling training is designed and delivered has the potential to improve greatly. Manual handling regulations 2002 the health and safety. Aspects of airport infrastructure, ground handling operations, and specialist prm handling operations at the airports were deemed best practice e. Word has spread about a significant manual handling legal case in east sussex, yet many occupational therapists appear to remain unclear about the facts and their ramifications. Manual handling operation regulations 1992, updated 2002. Dr s hignett, lecturer in ergonomics, dept of human sciences. This study involved a survey of current practices in relation to manual handling. College of occupational therapists 1995 manual handling operations. A uk national survey carried out in 2003 found that the three systems shown in fig 1 were widely used, with 42% of services. Manual handling of loads mhl, manual material handling mmh involves the use of the human body to lift, lower, fill, empty, or carry loads.
This is despite the fact that these techniques are not evidencebased, have been found to be unsafe for the nurse and the patient corlett et al. Manual handling regulations the manual handling regulations 1992 provide direction and guidance on assessing the risk of personal injury during manual handling operations. Jun, 2011 wanless s, wanless sg2011 improving training and education in patient handling. Nearly every nurse in the united states was taught manual patient handling techniques. Managing health at work partnership information network.
Manual handling risk assessments in occupational therapy. Pdf implementation of the manual handling directive in the. Over the 2year period from april 2003 to march 2005 they achieved a 75%. The fourth hignett et al, 2003 used an a more modern mixed methods. Injuries associated with patient handling activities are common in healthcare and cost the nhs more than. Despite over 30 years of research intended to guide improvements for nurses safety, substantial rates of manual handling injuries persist internationally within the nursing profession. Electric profiling beds in health care if overlay mattresses are used you should check their suitability with the. Documentrevise the patients plan of care to describe the components of the successful patient handling activity. The potentially transient nature of a patients mobility and cognitive status is illustrative of the complex manual handling scenarios faced by nurses. In the present study a detailed investigation on the load of the lumbar spine during manual patient handling was performed.
Msd are the most common workrelated condition in australia despite the fact there are known methods to eliminate or minimise them. Health and safety at work act 1974 hignett et al 2003 evidence based patient handling protected characteristics positive impact negative impact reasons for impact age the policy is consistent in its approach regardless of gender. Characteristic values of the lumbar load of manual patient. In 2001 dr hignett worked for east midlands ambulance service on risk management for manual handling operations. These guidelines suggest that employers encourage unison safety reps and committees to be involved in identifying, assessing and resolving manual handling issues. More importantly, it highlights the manual handling tile acronym and how to implement this within your organisation. This study highlighted the main factors specific to midwives to be that 1 they are caring two. The health and safety authority guidance document titled management of manual handling in the workplace 2005 underlines the need for management commitment to. Investigation of manual handling training practices in. The manual handling operations regulations 1992 amended. Definition of manual handling and the manual handling regulations. A search strategy was developed with assistance from the trent institute for health services research, university of.
The manual handling of loads regulation sets out a framework for employers to avoid or reduce the risk of injury from manual handling activity. Implementation of an evidencebased safe patient handling and movement mobility curriculum in an associate degree nursing program. Involves awkward postures or movements working with a bent andor twisted trunk, raised arms, bent wrists, a bent neck and turned head increases the risk of back injury and should be. Manual handling of loads guideline to the manual handling operations regulations. The load can be animate a person or animal or inanimate an object. Sue hignett phd loughborough university, loughborough. Manual handling manual handling operations regulations. Oxford university press online resource centre chapter. In response to the requirements laid down by the manual handling operations regulations 1992, manual handling advisors are now employed by most hospitals. Manual handling of loads guideline to the manual handling operations. Implementation of the manual handling directive in the healthcare industry in the european union for patient handling tasks s hignett, m fray, ma rossi, l tamminenpeter, s hermann, c lomi. Efforts to reduce injuries associated with patient handling are often based on tradition and personal experience rather than scientific evidence. This also applies in particular to nursing activities with manual patient handling. S, fies this report was prepared by the national university of ireland, galway on behalf of the hsa and dublin airport authority.
In the uk, the 1992 manual handling operations regulations uk set out a hierarchy of measures aimed at reducing the risks presented by manual handling. A uk national survey carried out in 2003 found that the three systems shown in fig 1. Compliance with unsafe practices in order to avoid conflict was also noted by kneafsey 2003, in an editorial considering progress made in the implementation of the manual handling operations regulations 1992 over the previous decade. Hignett 2001 states that one of the difficulties with manual handling in the healthcare. Downs and black 1998 as used by hignett, 2003 to assess the. Manual handling operations regulations 2004 by victoria smith. Manual handling injuries are estimated to cost the uk. Musculoskeletal injury risks for ambulance workers. Ten years on from the 1992 manual handling operations regulations. One increasingly popular way to attempt to decrease total load. Despite strong evidence, published over three decades, the most commonly used strategies have. Nurses share their experiences of manual handling in healthcare.
Improving training and education in patient handling. If youve ever wondered what manual handling is or what the regulations for manual handling are, then this post is for you. Despite strong evidence, published over three decades, the most commonly used strategies. Safer manual handling operations policy rdash nhs foundation. Nov 27, 2015 manual handling is defined as an application of a degree of physical force, to lift, move, carry, put down, throw, push or pull a load by using one or both hands. Musculoskeletal injury are universities doing enough to. Jul 16, 2010 the manual handling operations regulations 1992 as amended mho regulations came into force on january 1993 under the health and safety at work act 1974 to implement a european directive on the manual handling of loads, with some small changes made in 2002.
Economic impact of musculoskeletal disorders msds on work in europe. The 1992 manual handling operations regulations health and safety executive, 1992 set. Lifting, pushing and pulling manual handling lifting, pushing and pulling manual handling. Introduction the manual handling operations regulations 1992, as amended in 2002, apply to a wide range of activities, including lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling and carrying.
What do physiotherapists and manual handling advisors. Hignett and crumpton, 2005 of the following as the most likely approach to succeed. Evidencebased practices for safe patient handling and movement. The human spine is often exposed to mechanical load in vocational activities especially in combination with lifting, carrying and positioning of heavy objects. This policy and guidance is intended for all staff with line management responsibilities, especially those who manage staff engaged in manual handling as part. To establish a mechanism by which any new manual handling task introduced into the workplace is properly assessed. For safe manual handling and movement to become part of the culture, recent evidence supports a combined approach white and gray, 2004. Principally, it centres on how disabled peoples needs, rights and wishes should be balanced with employee safety in the context of community care. Manual handling is defined as an application of a degree of physical force, to lift, move, carry, put down, throw, push or pull a load by using one or both hands. Current scientific evidence now tell us that training interventions predominantly based on technique training have no impact on work practices or injury rates hignett 2003 manual handling is a physical activity that takes place in every workplace, and in some cases the activity does not pose a problem. Aug 01, 2003 it is the six success factors that form the basis of the new rcn manual handling training guidance rcn 2003 2 developed from a series of focus group sessions held with stakeholders throughout the uk. Based on the health and safety policys statement of intent, the manual handling operations regulations 2002 and the risk management strategy as recommended by several authors including hignett, 2003 and baggott, 2011, who emphesised the correct management of manual handling injuries, yeovil district hospital had a. A uk national survey carried out in 2003 found that. In in the proceedings of the national back exchange annual conference, hinkley, hignett, sm 2003 the nature of research evidence.
Where this is not possible, attention should be given to the provision of. In the authors opinion, the judgment is important, thoughtful and. Read musculoskeletal injury are universities doing enough to protect students. Health and safety at work act 1974 hignett et al 2003 evidence based patient handling protected. What constitutes effective manual handling training. Hse 1992 manual handling, manual handling operations regulations 1992 guidance on regulation.
This study used owas ovako working posture analysis system to measure the severity of the working postures adopted by nurses on care of the elderly wards when carrying out manual handling operations for animate and inanimate loads. Pdf manual handling in healthcare sue hignett academia. Hazards and risks associated with manual handling in the workplace. In europe, the european union directive 90269eec manual handling of loads sets out a hierarchy of measures aimed at reducing the risks of manual handling and training is one of the obligations on employers.
Manual handling risk assessments in occupational therapy sue. Mandelstam m 2003 manual handling, occupational therapists and the law. Intervention strategies to reduce musculoskeletal injuries associated with handling patients. Quality assurance in moving and handling education. What do physiotherapists and manual handling advisors consider the safest lifting posture, and do back beliefs influence their choice. This study therefore sought to investigate current practice in relation to. Hignett, s 2003 intervention strategies to reduce musculoskeletal injuries. Hignett 1996 studied manual handling risk factors for uk midwives using observation and interviews.
A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. The main thrust of the guidance is the competencies for manual handling section, which is divided into domains. Loughborough university institutional repository manual handling healthcare in this. Manual handling operations regulations 1992 amended. Back pain in the nursing profession is an acknowledged wide spread occupational hazard. The purpose of this article is to summarize current evidence for interventions designed to reduce caregiver injuries, a significant problem for decades. The manual handling of people and objects is integral to the provision of nursing care to patients globally. Hignett, s 2001 embedding ergonomics in hospital culture.
Evaluation of an intervention comprising a no lifting policy. An introduction to ergonomic techniques for postural and. Manual handling manual handling operations regulations 1992 guidance for regulations. A search strategy was devised to seek out research between 1960 and 2001. References any transporting or supporting of a load including the lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling or moving thereof by hand or bodily force. Lifting, transferring, repositioning, and moving patients using a caregivers body strength. Intervention strategies to reduce musculoskeletal injuries associated. Regulations for manual handling operations, hse 1992, were introduced in the uk in order to decrease manual handling and risk of injury. Hazards and risks associated with manual handling in the. The past 12 months have seen a renewal of the training guidance from the royal college of nursing rcn 2003 2 and the publication of the book evidencebased patient handling hignet et al 2003.
Later in 2001 she joined loughborough university and started the research programme with student projects 3. Manual handling activities at work can result in a wide range of musculoskeletal disorders msds. Healthcare involves many and varied manual handling tasks that are integral to patient. Manual handling injuries can occur wherever people are at work on farms and building sites, in factories, offices, warehouses, hospitals, banks, laboratories, and while making deliveries. Regulation 4 of the manual handling operations regulations 1992 as amended, 9 requires employers, so far as is reasonably practicable, to avoid the need for employees. Pdf in 1990 the european union eu introduced a directive to protect. International journal of industrial ergonomics 37 5, 415423, 2007.
Manual handling operations regulations 1992 guidance on regulations, hmso, london. Guidance on the management of manual handling in the workplace. Over the 2year period from april 2003 to march 2005 they achieved a. Analysis of the causes and costs of manual handling incidents in. A manual handling hazard is an activity or system of work that could cause harm. Wanless s, wanless sg2011 improving training and education in patient handling. Clearly, more research should be carried out, to identify the most effective approach to manual handling education. The manual handling operations regulationsmhor 1992 hse 1992 were the first, legally established, adopted set of regulations to comprehensively control manual handling lifting in uk workplaces. Hignett 1996 studied manual handling risk factors for uk midwives. Effectiveness of manual handling training health essay. An employer must list every manual handling operation carried within the business or undertaking to comply with the mhors regulations, manual handling, 2003. The occupational therapy department at a large acute hospital identified 63 manual handling risks in its practice. Principles for the safe moving and handling of patients in.
Electric profiling beds in health care health and safety. Most manufacturing or distribution systems require some manual handling tasks. However, hse 2003 contained many limitations of which the most important was the lack of. Lifting, pushing and pulling manual handling safe work. Back care 2011 the guide to handling people 6th edition. The manual handling operations regulations set out a hierarchy of control measures to reduce risk of injury, starting with the requirement to avoid hazardous manual handling wherever practicable. The hse guidelines on manual handling advise a number of proactive steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of manual handling incidents at work. The manual handling of people and objects is integral to the provision of. Implementation of the manual handling directive in the healthcare industry in the european union for patient handling tasks. Health and safety executive hse 1992 manual handling, manual handling operations regulations 1992 guidance on regulation.