Designing ergonomic interventions for emergency medical services workers--part III: Bed to stairchair transfers.

The objective of the current work was to test interventions aimed at reducing the low-back musculoskeletal loads experienced by firefighters/paramedics (FFPs) providing emergency medical services (EMS) that involve transferring a patient between a bed and a stairchair. The interventions, developed or selected using focus groups, were a prototype Drew People Movertrade mark, and a Transfer Sling. These interventions changed the coupling between the EMS worker and the patient.

Designing ergonomic interventions for EMS workers - part II: lateral transfers.

The objective of the current work was to test ergonomic interventions aimed at reducing the low back musculoskeletal loads experienced by firefighters/paramedics (FFPs) providing emergency medical services (EMS) when performing lateral transfers between a bed and a stretcher or between a stretcher and a hospital gurney. The interventions, developed using focus groups, were a bridgeboard to reduce the frictional force resisting the lateral sliding of the patient, the use of rods along each side of the patient to facilitate the grasping and handling of the bedsheet on which the patient is typically transferred, and a single rod that, when rolled in the bedsheet, resulted in the task being changed from a lifting task to a pulling task. Eleven two-person teams laterally transferred a 75 kg dummy with each intervention between a bed and simulated stretcher.

Designing ergonomic interventions for EMS workers, Part I: transporting patients down the stairs.

The objective of the current work was to test ergonomic interventions aimed at reducing the magnitude of trunk muscle exertions in firefighters/paramedics (FFPs) providing emergency medical services (EMS) when transporting patients down the stairs. The interventions, developed using focus groups, were a footstrap to prevent the patient from sliding down on the backboard, a change in the handle configuration on the stairchair, and 2 devices, the "backboard wheeler" and a tank tread-like device (descent control system, DCS) for a stretcher, that change the backboard and stretcher carrying tasks into rolling and sliding tasks. Eleven two-person teams transported a 75 kg dummy with each intervention and its corresponding control condition down a flight of steps.