[Risk during manual movement of loads]

The estimation of risk from manual movement of loads in health care workers was carried out in 8 hospitals of Veneto Region, North-eastern Italy. 49 medical wards, 53 surgical wards, 23 surgery departments and 21 emergency and diagnostic services were examined. Operationally, a check-list was used to analyze the organization of the work (staff, duties, typology of patients to mobilize) and the work environment. Results show that 61% of the medical wards and 75% of the surgical wards have a higher risk. In particular, the medical wards of geriatrics and neurology, the wards of neurosurgery, heart surgery, orthopedics, the big burns center and geriatric surgery resulted in greater risk. Similarly, 70% of the emergency and diagnostic services and all surgical areas were estimated to be at risk. Given this reality, it has been determined that there are inadequacies in both organizational and structural aspects. In all the examined situations, the risk related to the relationship non self-sufficient patients/nurse was greater when mechanical help was lacking. In 70% of the cases the nursing staff transported patients with the bed. Concerning structural inadequacies, insufficient space was verified in over 50% of the examined wards. Preventive measures should be taken on the two aspects considered, variation of the work organization and the reclamation of work environment. But above all, the need for mechanical help should be emphasized, in order to reduce to a minimum the manual load thus preventing the onset of low-back pain in the nursing staff.