AORN Ergonomic Tool 6: Lifting and Carrying Supplies and Equipment in the Perioperative Setting

Abstract

Perioperative team members often are required to lift and carry heavy supplies and equipment into and around the OR; this includes lifting equipment such as hand tables, fluoroscopy boards, stirrups, Wilson frames, irrigation containers for lithotripsy, and heavy instrument pans. Lifting heavy objects creates considerable risk for musculoskeletal injuries to the back and shoulders. AORN Ergonomic Tool 6: Lifting and Carrying Supplies and Equipment in the Perioperative Setting can help caregivers evaluate lifting and carrying tasks and take measures to protect themselves from injury. Caregivers can use the revised National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health lifting equation to assess whether a specific lifting task can be performed safely.

Workplace Safety Equals Patient Safety

“…A partnership between AORN, the Veterans Health Administration, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health resulted in development of a series of ergonomic guidelines for safe patient handling in the OR environment 18‐25 . The guidelines incorporated the latest scientific knowledge in biomechanics, psychophysics, and physiology to develop safe recommended exposure limits for various patient handling and lifting tasks with high risk of causing musculoskeletal disorders, such as back and shoulder disorders.…”

“…The guidelines incorporated the latest scientific knowledge in biomechanics, psychophysics, and physiology to develop safe recommended exposure limits for various patient handling and lifting tasks with high risk of causing musculoskeletal disorders, such as back and shoulder disorders. The guidelines address recommendations for transferring a patient laterally from a stretcher to an OR bed, 19 positioning a patient on an OR bed, 20 lifting and holding the patient's limbs, 21 prolonged standing in the OR, 22 manual retraction tasks, 23 lifting supplies and equipment in the OR, 24 and pushing and pulling wheeled objects and equipment 25 From a safety engineering standpoint, the data used to derive the guidelines (ie, muscle strength capability, spinal force limits, and physiological fatigue limits) were selected with the goal of providing a safe level of exposure for nearly all OR personnel.…”

“…Hazards in the SPD are physical, chemical, and biological. Repetitive lifting and moving of instrument sets and equipment can cause muscle and disk injury 24 . Sterile processing personnel lift instrument sets, many weighing close to 25 lb, and other equipment repeatedly throughout each shift. Floors that become wet create the potential for slips and falls.…”

“…Repetitive lifting and moving of instrument sets and equipment can cause muscle and disk injury 24 . Sterile processing personnel lift instrument sets, many weighing close to 25 lb, and other equipment repeatedly throughout each shift.…”

Carbon Fiber Composite Materials in Modern Day Automotive Production Lines: A Case Study

“…People who regularly lift heavy boxes of supplies and equipment require larger muscle forces to be able to perform such lift. Especially the soft tissues of the spine and shoulder joint are vulnerable [9]. Even though lifting devices included in this paper are not particularly heavy, the people that use them on a daily basis will be affected.…”