Health information for staff

The key to good back care and musculoskeletal disorder prevention, including back pain is to adopt and maintain good posture, take regular exercise, avoid strenuous manual handling, including carrying heavy loads e.g. bags and avoiding static postures e.g. prolonged periods of standing and sitting down. 

 

Manual handling injuries are part of a wider group of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

In 2017/18, Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSDs) accounted for 35% of the prevalence of all work-related ill health in Great Britain. WRMSDs working days lost (which place burdens on employers) account for 24% of all working days lost due to work-related illness in 2017/18 in Great Britain. Back pain accounts for 40% of musculoskeletal disorders, 18% for lower limb injuries and 42% for upper limbs MSDs.

 

Poor moving and handling practice can lead to back pain and musculoskeletal disorders, which can lead to inability to work. Moving and handling accidents can injure both the patient being moved and the employee.

 

Back care is for life and it is essential for staff to minimize their risk at work. Listen to your body, and be aware of your movement, balance and posture at work.

The best treatment for existing back pain is gentle movement, keeping joints mobile and staying active.

 

For further information on back care, please refer to the manual handling page of the intranet as well as refer to the back pain guidance supplied by HSE or contact the Moving and Handling Lead. 

All new Croydon Health employees will require entrant screening (via Occupational Health) prior to commencing employment, in order to assess whether any prospective employee has an illness or disability, which may affect their moving and handling capacity. However, it is also the responsibility of prospective employee to disclose any health related information, including pregnancy and MSD that may affect their ability to perform moving and handling tasks.

Employees reporting Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) will be referred to the Moving and handling team requesting a workplace and/ or risk assessment.

 

Employees who suffer from a work related MSD are advised to report this to their manager, Occupational Health or their GP as soon as possible.

 

Occupational Health liaise with the Moving and Handling Team regarding employees who have been identified that on their return to work may experience problems with moving or handling objects or patients. Referrals to the Moving and Handling Lead can be made using the referral forms in place, email referral or telephone referral.

Employees with reported MSDs who have been referred to the Moving & Handling Advisor from Occupational Health or from their manager will be offered an individual employee risk assessment. The assessment may include the completion of a generic risk assessment form, but will additionally take into consideration and make reference to their individual characteristics e.g. age, height, weight, restrictions with mobility, ongoing medical issues.

 

Where an employee has taken sickness absence greater than 7 days due to a work related moving and handling accident, then the manager must conduct an initial investigation as well as inform the risk management, health and safety department / moving and handling who will ensure that any further investigation under RIDDOR (2013) is undertaken.

 

Recommendations will refer to their job role and the routine moving and handling tasks undertaken, the use of equipment as well as adaptations to the work environment.  It is the responsibility of the employee and their manager to ensure compliance with the risk assessment and to implement any recommendations in order to maintain the health and safety of the employee.

 

Please contact the Moving and Handling Lead ( Annabelle.Adrah@nhs.net ) for more information.

There is a legal requirement for all employers to ensure that assessments of health and safety, risks to employees and the organisation are carried out. The specific legislation which creates this requirement for moving & handling for patients and objects includes:

 

It is the Croydon Health NHS Trust intentions to fulfil its duties to avoid all hazardous moving and handling operations ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’ and to make a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of any hazardous moving and handling operations that cannot be avoided, to reduce the risk of possible injury. The Trust is committed to providing evidence based best practice and care to all patients ensuing that they are treated with dignity and respect.

 

Croydon health manual handling risk assessments comprise of generic, patient and individual employee assessments.

 

Risk assessment will identify the steps needed to reduce the risk of injury, the need for staff training and the need for equipment.

Moving and Handling Lead and/or Health and Safety representatives, may provide support in carrying out the risk assessments for their ward/ department

Risk management is an intrinsic part of governance, patient and staff safety and the provision of a quality service. Risk management aims to manage an incident, event or hazard, removing those elements that would do harm, or reducing them to an acceptable level.

 

All Croydon Health employees are therefore encouraged to read and adhere to risk management policies and procedures for the management of risk in their individual areas of work and to ensure that all appropriate measures e.g. risk assessments are in place to protect people from harm.

 

Health and Safety Advisors will ensure Health and Safety Executive are notified of patient injuries and ill health arising from manual handling activities as required under RIDDOR (2013).

 

Croydon health manual handling risk assessments comprise of generic, patient and individual employee assessments.

 

Risk assessment will identify the steps needed to reduce the risk of injury, the need for staff training and the need for equipment.

Moving and Handling Lead and/or Health and Safety representatives, may provide support in carrying out the risk assessments for their ward/ department.

 

 

A Bariatric patient would be one who weighs in excess of 20 st/127 kg or with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30+. Body mass index (BMI) > 40 kg/m² and or are 40kg above ideal weight for height. (NICE 2004), or if the patient exceeds the working load limit (WLL) and dimensions of the support surface such as a bed, chair, wheelchair, couch, trolley, toilet or mattress.

 

However, patients with a lower weight or BMI may also fall under this classification depending on weight distribution, size, and height and mobility problems.

 

When undertaking a risk assessment of bariatric patients it is essential to obtain an accurate weight, as well as their body shape, in order to determine whether specialist equipment with higher safe working load (SWL) and / or increased width is required Additionally the patient’s abilities must also be risk assessed. It is recommended that adequate space and staffing levels should be given particular attention as bariatric patients who require physical assistance to re-position and / or mobilise, may require the assistance of several members of staff and / or the use of specialist equipment.

 

Please refer to the Moving and Handling Policy for more information and guidance.