Dear colleagues,
Some of the most successful ergonomic interventions in the nineties such
as "Participatory ergonomic interventions in meatpacking plants" (NIOSH,
1994) projects tended to focus on reducing musculo-skeletal injuries such
as tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome i.e. injuries that have more clear-
cut causes than those associated with back pain.
Shoulder injury rates might be a useful choice for evaluating manual
handling programs; there is evidence suggests that the increased use of
patient-lifting hoists has reduced the rate of back injuries but increased
the rate of shoulder injuries (Hignett, 1998).
However back injuries might be a different matter; many people are of the
opinion that the inevitable and frequent occurrence of Acute Low Back Pain
in the workforce make back pain a particularly unsuitable criterion for
intervention programs. Frank Darby has pointed out that it is important to
make a distinction between acute low back pain (ABLP) and serious back
injuries (SBI) as we cannot reduce the incidence of all back claims by
means of workplace interventions. He stated that it is essential to prevent
SBIs and manage ALBPs. SBIs are uncommon but very costly (they are easy to
prevent but hard to manage).
Acute Low Back Pains are common and almost impossible to prevent but very
responsive to correct management. He informed us that the New Zealand
publication “Active and Working!” made this very point (inside the cover of
the first edition).
Both types of pain are apt to give rise to an injury report; so does it
really make any sense to use such data to evaluate manual handling
intervention programs?
Regards,
David McFarlane
Ergonomist, WorkCover Authority
New South Wales, Australia
References:
1. NIOSH (1994), "Participatory ergonomic interventions in meatpacking
plants", edited by C. Gjessing, T. Schoenborn and A. Cohen, (NIOSH;
Publication 94-124).
2. S. Hignett, (1998), “Ergonomic Evaluation of Electric Mobile Hoists”,
British Journal of Occupational Therapy, November 1998, 61 (11), Page 515.
3. National Advisory Committee on Health and Disability, (2002), “Active
and Working!”. This publication is on the web at;
http://www.acc.co.nz/wcm001/groups/external_ip/documents/internet/wcm000836.
pdf
Disclaimer
Any recommendation concerning the use or representation of a particular
brand of product in this document or any mention of them whatsoever
(whether this appears in the text, illustrations, photographs or in any
other form) is not to be taken to imply that WorkCover NSW approves or
endorses the product or the brand.
|