The effectiveness of replacing floor lifts with mechanical ceiling lifts was evaluated in the extended care unit of a British Columbia hospital. Sixty-five ceiling lifts were installed between April and August 1998. Injury data were abstracted from injury reports for all staff musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) occurring in the unit during a 3 year period prior to installation and a 1.5 year follow up period. Descriptive statistics were calculated for injuries pre- versus post-installation. Rates were calculated as number of injuries per 100,000 worked hours. Rates for three pre- and three post-installation intervals were compared using Poisson regression. The rate of MSI caused by lifting/transferring patients was significantly reduced (58% reduction, p = .011) after installation, but rates of all MSI and MSI caused by repositioning did not statistically decline (p > .05). Further follow up is necessary to determine whether or not ceiling lifts also can be effective for decreasing injuries related to repositioning patients on this unit.
References
1.
BlueC.L. (1996). Preventing back injury among nurses. Orthopaedic Nursing, 15(6), 9–22.
2.
CatoC.OlsonD.K., & StuderM. (1989). Incidence, prevalence, and variables associated with low back pain in staff nurses. AAOHN Journal, 37(8), 321–327.
3.
CooperJ.E.TateR.B., & YassiA. (1998). Components of initial and residual disability after back injury in nurses. Spine, 23(19), 2118–2122.
4.
EngkvistI.L.HagbergM.HjelmE.W.MenckelE., & EkenvallL. (1998). The accident process preceding overexertion back injuries in nursing personnel. PROSA study group. Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment and Health, 24(5), 367–375.
5.
FrenchP.FloraL.F.PingL.S.BoL.K., & RitaW.H. (1997). The prevalence and cause of occupational back pain in Hong Kong registered nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing;26(2), 380–388.
6.
FujimuraT.YasudaN., & OharaH. (1995). Work-related factors of low back pain among nursing aides in nursing homes for the elderly. Sangyo Eiseigaku Zasshi, 37(2), 89–98.
7.
GambleE. (1997). Evaluation of interventions developed to prevent/reduce musculoskeletal injuries in health care workers caused by patient handling. Richmond, BC: Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia.
8.
GargA.OwenB.D., & CarlsonB. (1992). An ergonomic evaluation of nursing assistants' job in a nursing home. Ergonomics, 35(9), 979–995.
9.
HarberP.BillteE.GutowskiM.SooHooK.LewM., & RomanA. (1985). Occupational low-back pain in hospital nurses. Journal of Occupational Medicine, 27(7), 518–524.
10.
HignettS. (1996). Work-related back pain in nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 23(6), 1238–1246.
11.
HollidayP.J.FernieG.R., & PlowmanS. (1994). The impact of new lifting technology in long term care: A pilot study. AAOHN Journal, 42(12), 582–589.
12.
JensenR.C. (1987). Disabling back injuries among nursing personnel: Research needs and justification. Research in Nursing and Health, 10(1), 29–38.
13.
JensenR.C. (1990). Back injuries among nursing personnel related to exposure. Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 5(1), 38–45.
14.
LaflinK., & AjaD. (1995). Health care concerns related to lifting: An inside look at intervention strategies. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 49(1), 63–72.
15.
LagerstromM.HanssonT., & HagbergM. (1998). Work-related low-back problems in nursing. Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment and Health, 24(6), 449–464.
16.
LeightonD.J., & ReillyT. (1995). Epidemiological aspects of back pain: The incidence and prevalence of back pain in nurses compared to the general population. Occupational Medicine (London), 45(5), 263–267.
17.
LjungbergA.S.KilbomA., & HaggG.M. (1989). Occupational lifting by nursing aides and warehouse workers. Ergonomics, 32(1), 59–78.
18.
MarrasW.S.DavisK.G.KirkingB.C., & BertescheP.K. (1999). A comprehensive analysis of low-back disorder risk and spinal loading during the transferring and repositioning of patients using different techniques. Ergonomics, 42(7), 904–926.
19.
MonaghanH.RobinsonL., & SteeleY. (1998). Implementing a no lift policy. Nursing Standard, 12(50), 35–37.
20.
OnoY.LagerstromM.HagbergM.LindenA., & MalkerB. (1995). Reports of work related musculoskeletal injury among home care service workers compared with nursery school workers and the general population of employed women in Sweden. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 52(10), 686–693.
21.
SmedleyJ.EggerP.CooperC., & CoggonD. (1995). Manual handling activities and risk of low back pain in nurses. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 52(3), 160–163.
22.
SmedleyJ.EggerP.CooperC., & CoggonD. (1997). Prospective cohort study of predictors of incident low back pain in nurses. British Medical Journal, 314(7089), 1225–1228.
23.
TateR.B.YassiA., & CooperJ. (1999). Predictors of time loss after back injury in nurses. Spine, 24(18), 1930–1936.
24.
VilleneuveJ. (1998). The ceiling lift: An efficient way to prevent injuries to nursing staff. Journal of Healthcare Safety, Compliance, and Infection Control, 2(1), 19–23.
25.
Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia. (2000). Focus report on occupational injury and disease in the health care industry. Richmond, BC: Author.
26.
YassiA.TateR.CooperJ.E.SnowC., & VallentyneS. (1995). The epidemiology of back injuries in nurses at a large Canadian tertiary care hospital: Implications for prevention. Occupational Medicine (London), 45(4), 215–220.
27.
YassiA.CooperJ.E.TateR.B.GerlachS.MuirM.TrottierJ., & MasseyK. (2001). A randomized controlled trial to prevent patient lift and transfer injuries of healthcare workers. Spine26, 1739–1746.
28.
ZhuangZ.StobbeT.J.HsiaoH.CollinsJ.W., & HobbsG.R. (1999). Biomechanical evaluation of assistive devices for transferring residents. Applied Ergonomics, 30(4), 285–294.
