RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
October 22, 2007
SAFER PEOPLE HANDLING FOCUS AS EURO WEEK GETS UNDERWAY
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is urging care providers to focus on safer people handling in order to prevent injuries to their staff and patients.
The call comes at the start of European Week for Safety and Health 2007, which is dedicated to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) - a common problem in the care industry that can be caused through manual handling practices such as lifting and moving people.
New RoSPA courses consider the feelings of the person being moved as well as their safety and the safety of the healthcare worker. They recognise that real-life working environments differ from case to case.
MSDs, such as low back pain, joint injuries and repetitive strain injuries, are the most common form of occupational ill-health in Britain, affecting one million people a year.
RoSPA is partnering with Arjo, a healthcare solutions provider, to promote a holistic approach to safer people handling. The safety charity is delivering training based on techniques developed by Arjo’s ergonomics division, Corpus.
The training is centred on an approach known as haptonomics, which considers human behaviour and feelings, and originated in the Netherlands. As well as covering current legislation related to manual handling and the principles of safe moving and handling, training sessions also encourage participants to develop a problem-solving outlook based on their own individual working environments.
In addition to training Arjo clients, RoSPA offers three safer people handling courses in partnership with Corpus for external delegates - hoist awareness, theatre practitioners and haptonomics foundations courses, which run in Birmingham and Glasgow - plus its well-established range of people handling trainers courses, which enable delegates to teach the skills they have learned to colleagues back in their own organisations.
Melissa Lovell, Moving and Handling Consultant at RoSPA, said: “Manual handling injuries account for 40 per cent of sickness absence in the health services, and more than 5,000 manual handling injuries are reported in the sector each year. About half of these injuries happen during the handling of patients.
“Training can play a key role in reducing injuries. Not only does it equip supervisors and managers with an understanding of what the law requires, but it also gives each member of the team the safety knowledge and skills necessary for them to play their part effectively.
“Through our partnership with Arjo, we hope to contribute to excellence in care and reduce injury rates among patients and healthcare workers.”
Delegates attending courses in Birmingham train in RoSPA’s People Care Centre, a realistic work environment with up-to-date equipment including hoists, slings and a wide range of other handling equipment. Delegates in Glasgow also receive training in a well-equipped “at work” setting.
For more details about RoSPA’s safer people handling courses, call 0121 248 2227, email training@rospa.com or visit www.rospa.com/sph/
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RoSPA is a registered charity: Registered Charity No: 207823 Patron: Her Majesty the Queen RoSPA Head Office: Edgbaston Park, 353 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7ST, UK |
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