Lachance Chantelle C, Korall Alexandra M B, Russell Colin M, Feldman Fabio, Robinovitch Stephen N, Mackey Dawn C
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, CanadaOlder Adult Program, Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, CanadaSimon Fraser University, Burnaby Canada
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, CanadaOlder Adult Program, Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, CanadaSimon Fraser University, Burnaby Canada.
Hum Factors. 2016 Sep;58(6):927-43. doi: 10.1177/0018720816644083. Epub 2016 Apr 20.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of flooring type and resident weight on external hand forces required to push floor-based lifts in long-term care (LTC).
Novel compliant flooring is designed to reduce fall-related injuries among LTC residents but may increase forces required for staff to perform pushing tasks. A motorized lift may offset the effect of flooring on push forces.
Fourteen female LTC staff performed straight-line pushes with two floor-based lifts (conventional, motor driven) loaded with passengers of average and 90th-percentile resident weights over four flooring systems (concrete+vinyl, compliant+vinyl, concrete+carpet, compliant+carpet). Initial and sustained push forces were measured by a handlebar-mounted triaxial load cell and compared to participant-specific tolerance limits. Participants rated pushing difficulty.
Novel compliant flooring increased initial and sustained push forces and subjective ratings compared to concrete flooring. Compared to the conventional lift, the motor-driven lift substantially reduced initial and sustained push forces and perceived difficulty of pushing for all four floors and both resident weights. Participants exerted forces above published tolerance limits only when using the conventional lift on the carpet conditions (concrete+carpet, compliant+carpet). With the motor-driven lift only, resident weight did not affect push forces.
Novel compliant flooring increased linear push forces generated by LTC staff using floor-based lifts, but forces did not exceed tolerance limits when pushing over compliant+vinyl. The motor-driven lift substantially reduced push forces compared to the conventional lift.
Results may help to address risk of work-related musculoskeletal injury, especially in locations with novel compliant flooring.
本研究旨在调查地板类型和住户体重对长期护理（LTC）机构中推动地面升降机所需的外部手部力量的影响。
新型柔性地板旨在减少长期护理机构住户与跌倒相关的伤害，但可能会增加工作人员执行推任务所需的力量。电动升降机可能会抵消地板对推力的影响。
14名女性长期护理机构工作人员使用两台地面升降机（传统型、电动型），搭载平均体重和第90百分位住户体重的乘客，在四种地板系统（混凝土+乙烯基、柔性+乙烯基、混凝土+地毯、柔性+地毯）上进行直线推操作。通过安装在把手上的三轴测力传感器测量初始推力和持续推力，并与参与者特定的耐受极限进行比较。参与者对推的难度进行评分。
与混凝土地板相比，新型柔性地板增加了初始推力和持续推力以及主观评分。与传统升降机相比，电动升降机大幅降低了所有四种地板和两种住户体重情况下的初始推力和持续推力以及推的感知难度。仅在地毯条件下（混凝土+地毯、柔性+地毯）使用传统升降机时，参与者施加的力超过了已公布的耐受极限。仅使用电动升降机时，住户体重不影响推力。
新型柔性地板增加了长期护理机构工作人员使用地面升降机产生的线性推力，但在柔性+乙烯基地板上推时，力量未超过耐受极限。与传统升降机相比，电动升降机大幅降低了推力。
研究结果可能有助于解决与工作相关的肌肉骨骼损伤风险，特别是在使用新型柔性地板的场所。
