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Effects of a participatory ergonomics team among hospital orderlies
Author(s) -
Evanoff Bradley A.,
Bohr Paula C.,
Wolf Laurie D.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0274(199904)35:4<358::aid-ajim6>3.0.co;2-r
Subject(s) - medicine , psychosocial , poison control , occupational safety and health , intervention (counseling) , human factors and ergonomics , injury prevention , participatory ergonomics , nursing , medical emergency , psychiatry , pathology
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. Am. J. Ind. Med. 35:358–365, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.