EVALUATING THE USE OF CEILING LIFTS IN THE OPERATING ROOM

Healthcare workers make up 11% of British Columbia's workforce and, on an annual basis, they account for over 7,500 time-loss claims, 300,000 days of work lost, and a cost of more than $50 million in health claims as a result of musculo-skeletal injuries (MSIs) that occur in the workplace relating to patient care, over-exertion, slips, trips and violence. A new acute care hospital was constructed in Abbotsford, BC and opened in 2008. During this construction, extensive ceiling lift coverage was provided throughout the facility including in the operating room (OR). Given a lack of literature and research, around this important ergonomic engineering control in the OR environment, a staff survey was administered to capture information on the familiarity, usage, and perception of the ceiling lifts. Findings were positive and showed that the staff felt ceiling lifts were a practical and useful ergonomic engineering control, for the OR environment, and that key patient handling tasks were now being carried out with the use of ceiling lifts.