Authors (including presenting author) :
Kaur, I (1), Wong, SF (1), Wong WM (1), Ong KL (1), Tsui KL (1)
Affiliation :
(1) Accident and Emergency Department, Pok Oi Hospital
Introduction :
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) is an important issue especially for healthcare staff working in the Accident and Emergency Department (A&E). In this setting, procedures need to be carried out promptly which includes transferring of patients, restraining patients and dealing with those who exhibit violent behavior. Under such circumstances, staff may encounter workplace violence, injuries related to manual handling of patients and applying restraints. Thus, it is optimal to equip healthcare staff with knowledge and skills related to OSH, so that they can carry out their work safely and smoothly, thereby prevent injuries on duty.
Objectives :
1.To equip POH A&E healthcare staff with basic skills and knowledge on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) to perform their work in a safe and healthful manner
2.To increase staff’s awareness of possible work-related injuries particularly related to Workplace Violence and Manual Handling Operation
3.To decrease the number of Injury on Duty (IOD) cases in POH A&E upon implementation of the OSH improvement program
Methodology :
As the total IOD cases has increased in recent three years to 39, majority of these are categorized under either workplace violence and manual handling accounting to 12 cases and 9 cases respectively. In view of this, the OSH improvement program placed much emphasis on these two aspects. Related to MHO, a manual handling practical training session was provided to frontline staff of POH A&E regarding patient handling and transferring of patients. This training session consisted of baseline assessment of trainers, video broadcasting of proper techniques on manual handling operations followed by a practical exercise session in which participants could have hands-on training to better boost their skills. Whereas for workplace violence, a drill and seminar was conducted, focusing on HA By-law, De-escalation skills for managing patients with violent behavior and physical restraint tips. A physical restraint workshop was also carried out to enhance the correct technique in application of restraints and better communication with different parties.
Result & Outcome :
The number of IOD cases in POH AED has been on a decreasing trend from 1Q-3Q 2019. It ranges from 14 cases during 1Q2019 to 11 cases in 2Q2019 to a significant drop of 4 cases in 3Q2019. A workgroup will be set up for the on-going refreshment of Workplace and Manual Handling Operation among frontline staff.
