Moving equipment and people

Transcription

1 Learning Guide Moving equipment and people Describe techniques for moving equipment and people in a health or wellbeing setting Level 2 3 credits Name: Workplace: Issue 3.0

2 Copyright 2017 Careerforce All rights reserved. Careerforce (Community Support Services ITO Ltd) is the owner of the copyright of this publication. Other than as permitted by the Copyright Act 1994, no part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any other form or by any means, without prior written permission of Careerforce, PO Box , Christchurch, 8144, New Zealand.

3 Contents Introduction... 1 Managing discomfort, pain and injury... 2 The DPI framework... 2 Individual factors... 3 Psychosocial factors... 4 Work organisation... 5 Workplace layout... 6 Task invariability... 6 Load/forceful movements... 7 Environmental issues... 7 Culture of safety... 8 Moving equipment... 9 Rules for moving equipment Moving equipment tasks Supporting people to move Equipment for support people to move Techniques for supporting people to move Equipment for moving people Focusing on the person You have finished! Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April 2015

4 Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April 2015

5 Introduction As a support worker, it is important you can move equipment and the people you support in ways that keep yourself safe. How to use your learning guide This guide supports your learning and prepares you for the unit standard assessment. This learning guide relates to the following unit standard: Describe techniques for moving equipment and people in a health or wellbeing setting (level 2, 3 credits). This learning guide is yours to keep. Make it your own by writing notes that help you remember things, or where you need to find more information. Follow the tips in the notes column. You may use highlighter pens to show important information and ideas, and think about how this information applies to your work. You might find it helpful to talk to your workmates or supervisor. Complete this learning guide before you start the assessment. What you will learn This learning guide will help you to: manage discomfort, pain and injury when moving equipment and people. talk about how to move equipment. talk about how to support people to move. Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April

6 Managing discomfort, pain and injury It s very important to keep yourself safe when you are moving equipment and people. Discomfort can build up as a result of many factors that may combine to cause pain or injuries. ACC has developed a programme called Preventing and Managing Discomfort, Pain and Injury. Discomfort, pain and injury is called DPI. Managing DPI means: being aware of things that may contribute to discomfort, pain and injury. avoiding getting hurt. understanding how different factors combine. stopping things getting worse if you are hurt. The DPI framework The DPI framework is a system that helps you recognise things that are likely to cause DPI. There are seven factors that make up the DPI framework. They can often act together to cause DPI. The seven factors are: individual factors. psychosocial factors. work organisation. workplace layout. task invariability. load/forceful movements. environmental issues. Talk Talk to your supervisor about injury prevention programmes at your workplace. More info ACC is the Accident Compensation Corporation. This is an organisation responsible for helping people keep safe and supporting them financially if they get hurt. Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April

7 This diagram shows the seven factors that can contribute to DPI. Individual factors Individual factors are things about you that can contribute to DPI. You can t change some things, but you can change others. Things you can t change There are some things you can t change about yourself, such as: your age. your height. For things you can t change about yourself, you need to be aware of how they might cause DPI. Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April

8 Example: Jenalyn and Mary are support workers. Jenalyn is short and Mary is tall. When they work, they both need to get the cups down to make afternoon tea. The cups are kept on a high shelf. Mary can reach the cups easily. Jenalyn has to be aware that she needs to use a stepladder to reach the cups. If she tries to reach up without the stepladder, she can almost reach them but can t see what she is doing. She could drop them on herself and get hurt. Think about What could Jenalyn or her employer do about this situation? Things you can change There are some things you can change about yourself, such as: your personal health and wellbeing. your skills and knowledge. Changing these things can take time and effort, but changing them can help keep you safe and make you feel good about yourself. Some things that can help you improve yourself are: training. practising regularly. exercising regularly. Example: At some workplaces, staff get together and stretch for 15 minutes before their shift starts to help prevent injuries. This was suggested by their employer to improve staff health and wellbeing. Psychosocial factors Psychosocial factors are personal issues and stresses, both in the workplace and in the rest of your life, and the way you react to them. Non-work factors include: family relationships with partners or other members of your family and whānau. financial issues, such as managing a mortgage or large debts or having difficulties making ends meet. health worries, either your own or others. your attitudes and beliefs about pain, for example, the belief that pain is always harmful or that all pain must stop before anything else can be done. More info It is your responsibility and your employer s responsibility to ensure you are safe at work. Talk to your supervisor about injury prevention programmes. More info Psychosocial is said like this: sike oh soh shill. Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April

9 Work factors include: workloads, deadlines or lack of control over your work. unsociable hours or shift work. feeling unsupported by your managers. your relationship with your workmates and managers. how satisfied you are with your job. your promotion prospects (or lack of them). the culture at your workplace whether it is generally a happy place to be or not. Relationships Things that happen with your friends, family and workmates can affect your work. For example, if you are upset because you had an argument with your partner or a workmate, you might be distracted and make mistakes at work that could hurt you or the people you work with. What you can do Be aware if you re having a bad day and know how that may affect your behaviour. Deal with issues if you re feeling upset. Social expectations The way we act depends on the expectations of the group of people around us. These are called social expectations. Work organisation How you do your work can affect your safety. For moving people and equipment, this includes: the techniques you use for moving equipment and people. knowing who does the work. Is it always the same person or do you take turns? your workplace s policies on how you should move equipment and objects. the level of training your workplace provides. Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April

10 What you can do Make sure you: are trained in how to move equipment and people. move equipment and people in the way you have been trained to. take enough breaks. Workplace layout The way your working space is laid out can affect your safety. Example: James is Sarah s support worker. Every morning, he helps Sarah get out of bed and then changes her sheets. Sarah sleeps on a very low bed, so James has to bend a lot to do his work. All that bending could cause James to hurt his back. Think about What could James or his supervisor do about this situation? What you can do Check that your working space is well organised and talk to your supervisor if you have any ideas about improving it to make it safer. Task invariability Doing the same thing over and over again is called task invariability. This can be bad for your body and mind and affect your safety. This is especially true if: the task is too boring. You can become careless and hurt yourself. the task is too challenging. You can get tired and hurt yourself. you have to hold one position for a long time. This can hurt your muscles. What you can do Talk to your supervisor about organising your tasks so you get variation throughout the day. For example, doing a sitting task and then a standing task. Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April

11 Load/forceful movements Things you use or carry can affect your safety. The thing you use or carry is called the load. How you use or carry it is called a forceful movement. Many people are injured every day from carrying things. What you can do Make sure you: are trained in how to move and handle equipment and people. move equipment and people in the way you have been trained to. Environmental issues Where you work is called your work environment. This can affect your safety. For example, your environment might: be too loud. You could damage your hearing. have too much or not enough light. You could damage your eyesight. not have all the things you need. You could try to do something without the proper equipment and hurt yourself. not have enough training available. You could try to do something without being trained and hurt yourself. What you can do If you have any concerns about your work environment, talk to your supervisor. Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April

12 Culture of safety Your work will have expectations around safe behaviour and preventing DPI. In the safest workplaces, everybody knows how to behave safely and does it. Because everybody does it, it s easier for you to behave safely as well. This is called a culture of safety. In some workplaces, people think it s too hard to do things safely. This makes it harder for you to do things the safe way. It s always harder to do things differently from other people. In workplaces like this, more people get hurt. What you can do Help to make a culture of safety at your workplace. You can: do things safely anyway! If people ask you why, you can say you want to stay safe for your family and whānau. ask your supervisor to promote a culture of safety. Think about What s more important to you: doing things quickly or staying healthy for your family and whānau? Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April

13 Moving equipment When we talk about moving equipment, we mean anything you move at work that isn t a person. In this context, equipment could be many things. Some of them are listed below. Laundry Do it Your workplace should have a moving and handling programme. Talk to your supervisor about this. Chair Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April

14 Rubbish bins Kitchen trays Rules for moving equipment Here are some guidelines to make it easier and safer for you to move equipment. When you carry something, keep it close to your body. This way, you use your stomach muscles, not just your arms. Media The ACC website has videos that can show you how to move people safely. Go to and search for moving and handling videos. Ask your supervisor to help you find them, if you need to. Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April

15 When you move something, make sure you can see where you re going. Make sure your line of vision is always clear. If you can t see, you could trip and hurt yourself, or run into someone else. More info Your line of vision is an imaginary line between your eyes and where you are going. When you reach down, make sure your body position is stable so that you don t fall over. To do this, tighten your stomach muscles. When you reach down, make sure your knees are bent and your back is straight. When you lift up, push down through your heels and keep your back straight so that your leg muscles can do the work. Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April

16 When you have several things to carry, take smaller loads so that you don t strain your muscles. When you are lifting or carrying things, try not to twist your body. Twisting puts too much strain on your muscles and joints. More info A strain is an injury that can cause discomfort or pain. Moving equipment tasks Here are some common tasks you might do as a support worker. Doing laundry Here are some tips for handling dry and wet laundry. Split the load. Smaller loads are safer to carry, especially if the laundry is wet. Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April

17 Don t overfill linen bags. Check with your workplace about how full linen bags should be. Hanging out laundry Try to raise or lower equipment so you don t have to reach too much. Raise the basket. Use a laundry trolley. You could also put the basket on a box or stool. Use a height adjustable clothesline. Use the handle to move the line to a comfortable height. You can raise it again when you re done if you think the laundry will dry better. Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April

18 Stand in a stable position. Keep your back straight. Maintain your natural spinal curve. Bend with your knees or at the hip, rather than bend your back. Vacuuming Keep your back straight and elbows tucked in. Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April

19 Supporting people to move Some of the people you support may need help to move. Equipment for support people to move The people you support may use equipment to help them move. This is called assistive equipment. Assistive equipment can help people be independent. You need to know what types of assistive equipment a person needs, so that you can support them to use it. Here are some examples of assistive equipment: Walkers, crutches or canes A raised toilet seat Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April

20 Bed poles to help people sit up Techniques for supporting people to move There are many techniques you can use to help people move. Using these techniques the right way will help you to: prevent and manage DPI. keep yourself and the person safe. Talk Talk to your supervisor about training in helping people move. Normal moving patterns Sometimes the person you support will need help moving, but you want them to move in a normal way (the way they would if they were fully able). This is their normal moving pattern. Some techniques you might use to help people move using normal moving patterns are below. In these techniques, you talk the person through what they need to do, rather than offer them physical support. Supervised sit to stand This helps the person follow the normal moving pattern of getting up from the chair. Media You can see videos of these techniques on the ACC website. Go to and search for moving and handling videos. Ask your supervisor to help you find them, if you need to. Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April

21 Supervised turning or rolling This helps the person follow the normal moving pattern of rolling over in bed. Supervised sitting up in bed This helps the person follow the normal moving pattern of sitting up or getting out of bed. Equipment for moving people You will use different equipment to move people, depending on your job. Here are some examples of equipment you might use: A hoist and sling Do it Make sure you know how to use all the equipment that you need in your job. Ask your supervisor to show you how. A slide sheet Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April

22 A handling belt An air lifting device Focusing on the person When you help a person to move, you need to focus on them and what support they need. This means that all techniques you use must provide the person with comfort and dignity. For example, if you are moving someone using a slide sheet, make sure you cover the person with a blanket. Think about What if the person being moved was your mother, your grandfather or your kuia? How would you want them to be treated? Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April

23 You have finished! Great work you ve finished this learning guide. Now you can: manage discomfort, pain and injury when moving equipment and people. talk about how to move equipment. talk about how to support people to move. Moving equipment and people (US 23452) Learning Guide Careerforce Issue 3.0 April