Development of an instrument for evaluating the moving and transfer of patients: an ergonomic approach

Nursing personnel are at a high risk from work-related musculoskeletal disorders, especially back symptoms. Handling patients has been attributed as one of the factors playing an important role in the aetiology of occupational low back pain. The aim of the study was to construct an instrument to evaluate the ergonomic risks during patient-handling tasks. The instrument was developed with an ergonomic approach involving the equipment, the tasks, the environment and the personnel.