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Effects of a Participatory Ergonomics Team Among Hospital Orderlies



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  • Personal Author:
  • Description:
    Background: High rates of work-related injuries are seen among health care workers involved in lifting and transferring patients. We studied the effects of a participatory worker-management ergonomics team among hospital orderlies. Methods: This prospective intervention trial examined work injuries and other outcomes before and after the intervention, with other hospital employees used as a concurrent control. All orderlies in a 1,200-bed urban hospital were studied using passively collected data (mean employment during study period 100-110 orderlies); 67 orderlies (preintervention) and 88 orderlies (postintervention) also completed a questionnaire. The intervention was the formation of a participatory ergonomics team with three orderlies, one supervisor, and technical advisors. This team designed and implemented changes in training and work practices. Results: The 2-year postintervention period was marked by decreased risks of work injury (RR = 0.50, 95% CI 0.35-0.72), lost time injury (RR = 0.26, 95% CI 0.14-0.48), and injury with three or more days of time loss (RR = 0.19, 95% CI 0.07-0.53). Total lost days declined from 136.2 to 23.0 annually per 100 full-time worker equivalents (FTE). Annual workers' compensation costs declined from $237/FTE to $139/FTE. The proportion of workers with musculoskeletal symptoms declined and there were statistically significant improvements in job satisfaction, perceived psychosocial stressors, and social support among the orderlies. Conclusion: Substantial improvements in health and safety were seen following implementation of a participatory ergonomics program. [Description provided by NIOSH]
  • Subjects:
  • Keywords:
  • ISSN:
    0271-3586
  • Document Type:
    Text
  • Funding:
    Cooperative Agreement
  • Genre:
    Journal Article
  • Place as Subject:
  • CIO:
    National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
  • Topic:
    Workplace Safety & Health
  • Location:
    North America
  • Pages in Document:
    358-365
  • Volume:
    35
  • Issue:
    4
  • NIOSHTIC Number:
    nn:20032372
  • Citation:
    Am J Ind Med 1999 Apr; 35(4):358-365
  • Contact Point Address:
    Bradley A. Evanoff, MD, MPH, Washington University, School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid, Campus Box 8005, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093
  • Email:
    evanoff@osler.wustl.edu
  • Federal Fiscal Year:
    1999
  • Performing Organization:
    Washington University
  • Peer Reviewed:
    True
  • Start Date:
    19950930
  • Source Full Name:
    American Journal of Industrial Medicine
  • End Date:
    19980929
  • Collection(s):
  • Main Document Checksum:
    urn:sha-512:8ffdeae0a89293071798acbcca2c5d814feebc8e4f0a77d407058ad2a85157aa8e41f1a671dc4acae246acd9a62beb7ba4e52a32be1bc8e6ba4f7f89e7ba6dc9
  • Download URL:
  • File Type:
    Filetype[PDF - 89.06 KB ]
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