A biomechanical and ergonomic evaluation of patient transferring tasks: wheelchair to shower chair and shower chair to wheelchair

Details

• Personal Author:
  Banaag J ; Beller D ; Garg, Arun ; Owen B
• Description:
  A study was conducted to find a manual method and a mechanical hoist to be used for transferring patients from wheelchair to shower chair and from shower chair to wheelchair that would result in relatively low physical stress to the nursing personnel while at the same time allowing high levels of comfort and security for the patients. Six female volunteers served both as nurses and patients. Eight different criteria were used to evaluate five different manual techniques and three different hoists for transferring patients. The two person walking belt using a gentle rocking and pulling motion and the Ambulift were the two methods which satisfied all the criteria with the exception of transfer time. The authors state that, assuming adequate staffing is available, these two methods are recommended, particularly in cases where the patient cannot bear weight and those patients who are heavy or combative. Transferring the patients while still in their rooms should eliminate transfers in confined lavatory workspaces, thus reducing postural stresses to the nurses. Both objective biomechanical evaluations and subjective stress ratings be studied to determine various stresses occurring during the task of patient transfer. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biomechanical Phenomena Ergonomics Health Personnel Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety Stress, Psychological
• Keywords:
  Biomechanics Contract-200-86-2923 Health-care-personnel Human-factors-engineering Job-stress Muscle-stress Musculoskeletal-system-disorders NIOSH-Contract NIOSH-Publication Nursing Physical-capacity Physical-stress Posture

  More +
• ISSN:
  0014-0139
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Contract
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 5 ; Wisconsin
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  407-419
• Volume:
  34
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00204332
• Citation:
  Ergonomics 1991 Apr; 34(4):407-419
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1991
• Performing Organization:
  University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Ergonomics
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:18e3f298ad29d0a49aa72e8eb05d6651cb56772c907b6d72f1d8e1ffa0e7db8c6b35611c302c6ca9f71e8348bbe6b1bd0ba6a347a56bb642e1a5df6505b6fbf1
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/203976/cdc_203976_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 946.40 KB ]