Citation

Lim HJ, Black TR, Shah SM, Sarker S, Metcalfe J. J. Saf. Res. 2011; 42(3): 185-191.

Affiliation

Department of Community Health & Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, U.S. National Safety Council, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jsr.2011.05.002

PMID

21855689

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate repeated patient handling injuries following a multi-factor ergonomic intervention program among health care workers. METHODS: This was a quasi-experimental study which had an intervention group and a non-randomized control group. Data were collected from six hospitals in Saskatchewan, Canada from September 1, 2001 to December 1, 2006. RESULTS: A total of 1,480 individuals who had a previous injury were eligible for the study. Medium and small size hospitals in the intervention group had significantly fewer repeated injuries than in the control group. Multivariate analysis showed that the intervention group had 38.1% lower odds of having repeated injury compared to the control group, after adjusting for hospital size. CONCLUSIONS: The work-related repeated injury after a multi-factor intervention program was reduced. The synergistic relationships between components of multi-factor intervention and applicability of injury prevention programs to different settings need to be further explored. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Implementing a multi-factor program with the right equipment and training can lower the risk of injury among health care workers.

Language: en