Physical Ergonomic Assessment in Cleaning Hospital Operating Rooms Based on Inertial Measurement Units.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Ergonomics
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Hospital operating room (OR) cleaning staff face significant ergonomic challenges.
• These challenges can lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
• Objective ergonomic assessment methods are needed to identify specific risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct physical ergonomic assessments of hospital cleaning staff.
• To combine continuous assessment using inertial measurement units (IMUs) with video coding.
• To identify high-risk anatomical areas and specific cleaning subtasks.

Main Methods:

• Eight hospital cleaning staff participated in the study.
• Participants wore IMUs while performing cleaning tasks.
• Video recording and subjective evaluation via the Nordic questionnaire were also employed.
• Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) was calculated using IMU data.

Main Results:

• Global RULA scores indicated significant risk (average 4.21 right, 4.19 left).
• Staff spent most time in RULA risk levels 3-4 (approx. 64%).
• Elbows and lower arms showed the highest exposure (over 86% of time at risk).
• 'Operating table moving', 'stretcher moving', and 'trolley moving' were identified as the riskiest subtasks.

Conclusions:

• The combined IMU and video method provides extensive ergonomic analysis.
• Specific anatomical areas (elbows, lower arms) and subtasks require targeted interventions.
• Findings highlight the need to reconsider OR cleaning procedures to mitigate MSD risks.