Dondi A C, Bellacov R, Fray M, Davis K G
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK.
Hum Factors Health. 2024 Dec;6:100080. doi: 10.1016/j.hfh.2024.100080.
Many of the tasks being conducted by home healthcare workers are associated with significant complex demands. Each home is a unique work environment with potentially different exposures. The purpose of this study was to investigate the plethora of exposures for home healthcare workers in the United Kingdom. The study was a cross-sectional study that utilized a trained supervisor to complete the direct observation of the healthcare worker (nursing aide and nurse). Environmental hazards that were captured included mold/mildew (8.7%) and dogs (14.5%), and secondhand smoking (15.9% with smell in home and 8.7% with active smoking). Verbal abuse was prominent for nurse aides (31% experiencing it). Ergonomic hazards were observed through various tasks such as repositioning in bed (34.8%), transfer from bed to chair (30.4%), transfer from bed to chair (26.1%), and transfer from chair to chair (26.1%) and particularly for nursing aides. The results of the current observations indicated that home healthcare workers faced a multitude of exposures that could lead to injuries. This provides a rigid platform for occupational safety and ergonomics specialists to appreciate the occupational exposures and challenges that home health care workers face in the unique home care environment and proactively identify mitigation measures of the respective occupational hazards.
家庭医护人员执行的许多任务都伴随着重大的复杂需求。每个家庭都是一个独特的工作环境，可能存在不同的暴露风险。本研究的目的是调查英国家庭医护人员面临的大量暴露风险。该研究是一项横断面研究，利用一名经过培训的监督员对医护人员（护理助理和护士）进行直接观察。记录到的环境危害包括霉菌/霉变（8.7%）、狗（14.5%）以及二手烟（家中有烟味的占15.9%，有主动吸烟的占8.7%）。护理助理遭受言语虐待的情况较为突出（31%的人有此经历）。通过各种任务观察到了人体工程学危害，如在床上重新定位（34.8%）、从床转移到椅子（30.4%）、从床转移到椅子（26.1%）以及从椅子转移到椅子（26.1%），护理助理尤其如此。当前观察结果表明，家庭医护人员面临多种可能导致受伤的暴露风险。这为职业安全和人体工程学专家提供了一个坚实的平台，使其能够了解家庭医护人员在独特的家庭护理环境中面临的职业暴露和挑战，并积极确定相应职业危害的缓解措施。
