Do you promote a work environment where the health and wellbeing of your staff and clients is not compromised by lifting or manual handling?

Prepared by: Nick Heywood-Smith & Michael Peachey

Improving staff understanding of manual handling and the correct use of manual handling techniques to minimise risk of injury to staff and clients.

Do you find that the way some staff are performing manual handling tasks could put themselves or your clients at risk of injury?  Did you realise that the health care and aged care industry is considered one of the most ‘high risk’ industries for work related injuries?  Why?

• There are many manual handling activities involved in the work (both for people moving and moving of materials).
• There are often multiple trips and falls of residents and clients within aged care and health care settings.
• There are often resistive residents that increase the risk of injury.

By continuously educating your team, you cannot only reduce the risk to your residents, you can reduce the incidence of injury and hence WorkCover claims.

What this e-book can do for you!

• Get all levels of staff on board with the correct and safest techniques to manually move people and materials.
• Improve your staff’s understanding of employer and employee responsibilities within the work place.
• Ensure that your staff know how to correctly provide manual handling techniques to improve safety and reduce the risk of injury.
• Gain a better understanding of human anatomy and the effect different postures can have on your body.

Included in this e-book is:

• Manual handling policy
• Employer and employee responsibilities
• Hazard identification, risk assessment and control
• Anatomy and biomechanics
• Methods of manual handling
• General principles
• Key factors
• Fundamental movements and positions
• Manual handling of materials
• Manual handling procedures for patients
• Use of mobility aids
• Management of a patient who has fallen

Who should use this e-book?

You and your staff should go through this e-book during the staff member’s induction into your facility or as a ‘refresher’ during the year if you have manual handling queries.

Staff and management should also use this book to remind themselves of their responsibilities within the work place, the basic anatomy of your body and how it works during movement and the stresses and strains that can occur during different postures and lifting techniques.  Most importantly, all people working in a healthcare environment (including ancillary staff – kitchen, laundry and maintenance staff) should use this e-book to educate themselves on the current correct techniques for safe manual handling.

Some of the sites we’ve provided training to and have provided access to this e-book have significantly reduced their work related injuries and WorkCover expenses.  Staff feel more confident about their abilities and this in turn reduces the risk to the clients.

We realise that by just reading this book you are not going to be proficient in manual handling.  Practical training by a specialist physiotherapist or occupational therapist is always recommended.  Wellness & Lifestyles Australia can provide you with these therapists if needed.  The book should only be used as a resource document following some interactive training.  E-learning modules by W&L are also available.

This e-book is set out in a progressive format where manual handling techniques and strategies build upon previous informatin and are left to the end.  It’s important for all levels of staff to have an understanding of the basics and how to do the techniques too because we’ve found that RNs, ENs, ancillary staff and carers performing the manual handling tasks are all at risk of injuring themselves or others.

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