The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) states that in 2012/2013, 124 nurses for every 100,000 employed reported injuries caused by poor manual handling. For paramedics this figure soared to 1,727 per 1,000, and for ambulance staff the figure reported was a massive 1,768 in every 100,000.
Compare these numbers to reported manual handling injuries in the construction industry 84 per 100,000 – where the working environment is generally considered extremely hazardous, and it is clear to see that poor manual handling is a real issue in the ambulance service.
Typical manual handling injuries include sprains and strains, trapped fingers and cuts from sharp objects. And according to the Journal of Paramedic Practice, “The provision of emergency and urgent care has been recognised for many years as exposing ambulance workers to high risks of musculoskeletal injuries.”
Heightened Risks
Any environment in which moving and handling people is a necessity is always going to increase the risk of sustaining injuries, which is why tailored training is an absolute necessity. This is particularly true when handling people in emergency situations, where the urgency of the required reaction tends to take priority.
The Ambulance Service is a regular client of Alistair Bromhead Ltd. We regularly run our 4-day IOSH People Handling Train the Trainer courses in this sector, and have become only too aware of the specific risks faced.
The course is practical and interactive and furnishes participants with the skills, knowledge and course material needed to develop and deliver their own effective manual handling training in-house.
Helping to Reduce Costs
As with any government-funded body, costs are always something that must be kept in check for the Ambulance Service: precisely why a course that allows them to take training in-house by developing their own competent trainers is so appealing.
Participants on the course, which can be delivered onsite and tailored to suit any specific needs, are furnished with a comprehensive course manual, lesson plans for their trainees, a CD of presentations that can be used in their courses and various other added extras. Ongoing support is also included as part of the course fee.
For further information or to book an in-house, bespoke course email info@abromhead.co.uk or call 07932 674707.