Moving and Handling People in the Healthcare Industry

The anatomy which is the physical structure of the body and the physiology which is the normal functions of the body help us to move our limbs. Muscles work like leavers and this allow the bones at a joint to work like hinges. When moving someone it is important to remember that the muscles can only move the joint as far as the bone will allow them.

When moving an individual you must take into account if they have any conditions that acquire special moving techniques.

Here are a few examples; Individuals with Parkinson’s may have limb rigidity which can affect their ability of movement and cause limitations. When moving the individual into different positions you must make sure to force the rigid limbs as this can cause further pain and discomfort. Individuals that have had a stroke often have long-term and devastating weakness down one side of their body. When moving that individual you must be aware of the extent of the stroke and on which side of the body has been effected.

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Describe the impact of specific conditions on the correct movement and positioning of an individual.

If you have someone who has had a stroke this may cause them to loose the use of their limbs which mean that it is important to remember that you dress the bad side first and undress it last. This is so you are not pulling their muscles in the direction they won’t go.

If an individual has a fracture, the movement must be gentle and careful, and the right procedure must be followed, so as to reduce any complications to the fracture.

If an individual is bed-bound, the correct hoist and sling must be used. When staff adhere to the appropriate moving techniques, it will reduce the risks of back injury

Describe how legislation and agreed ways of working affect working practices related to moving and positioning individuals

Every time care workers move or support an individual they are performing manual handling on that individual. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) 50% of all reported accidents are from the Health and Social sector and in particular with moving and handling. To reduce the amount of accidents and injury, there is legislation in place to protect everybody. Here are a few examples of legislations; L.O.L.E.R, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. These legislations are in place to make sure it is a legal requirement for employers to make sure the health, safety and welfare of their employees is maintained and for employees to have a duty of care for themselves and others.

There are several key pieces of legislation that relate to ‘moving and positioning’ which need to be considered during your work environment.

• The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (known as MHOR) are designed specifically to eliminate or reduce a manual handling risk to an acceptable level.

• Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (known as LOLER) has specific requirements relating to work equipment which is used for lifting and lowering people or loads. It requires an employer to ensure that lifting equipment is positioned or installed to prevent risk of injury and sufficiently strong, stable and suitable for purpose.

• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (known as PUWER) ensures that the equipment employers provide is suitable for the intention, safe for use, only used by people who have been trained to do so, and maintained in a safe condition.

• The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 (known as WHSWR) ensure employers provide suitable working conditions for their employees.

http://www.cis-assessment.co.uk/docs/pdf/wb/St8_wkb.pdf

Ask your supervisor or manager about the health and safety policies and procedures in your work place. 2. Health and safety risk assessments

Know why it is important to assess health and safety risks posed by the work setting or situation or by particular activities

The purpose of assessing risk is to ensure the health, safety, welfare and security of staff, individuals and the wider community. The law requires a risk assessment to be carried out about the environment in which you provide support for individuals as well as for the tasks you undertake. These enable you to reduce or remove any risks. You will need to make sure you know where these risk assessments are kept for each individual. Risks that are identified will inform the way in which you work with individuals. Risk assessment is about making decisions, which are logical, realistic and legal. Risks can change depending on the circumstances over brief or long periods of time, therefore risk assessment and risk management will be subject to frequent review. The Risk Assessment and Management Plan should be within the care plans for the individuals you are supporting. Ensure you read this and if any changes need to be made consult with the person responsible for making those changes. The following guidance is taken from the HSE leaflet called “Five Steps to Risk Assessment”.