Healthcare product designers are constantly coming up with new and better ways of doing things – ways to make life easier and safer, and to improve care practices and workplace process.
Fortunately, the humble floor hoist has not missed the boat on this innovation challenge.
According to Safework Australia, body stressing represented more than half (51%) of workers’ compensation claims between 2000-2015! Many of these were due to lifting people or moving beds, trolleys and other non-powered medical equipment.
When it comes to lifting a patient, resident or client, we thankfully have the technology of hoists. Gone is the day we do this all with our backs! Or is it?
Floor hoists used to be the saviour for nurses and carers when they first became common place in the Healthcare environment many years ago. Ceiling hoists are now the gold standard for lifting and positioning, requiring minimal output from carers’ bodies to lift or position a person, but they generally do not cover areas such as corridors, dining and lounge areas or even bathrooms.
So, what if a facility cannot have the gold standard ceiling hoist? What if it is not possible to apply the best solution all of the time, to minimise staff risk of injury? What if someone falls in an area where the ceiling hoist does not reach? Are we stuck wrestling with the floor hoist forever? Have you ever tried to move an 80-90kg – even a 100Kg – person using a floor hoist? It involves a high degree of manual effort from the ‘driver’. Pulling, pushing and twisting even the weight of a regular person is likely to cause great physical stress and possible longer term accumulative stress injury. The Safework Australia data on body stress injuries are a sobering testament to the impact of such forces on the body.
HLS Healthcare are genuinely excited to have the Esense Powered Floor Hoist to offer #betterwaysforliving facilities where Ceiling Hoists cannot be considered as an option.
By taking push-pull forces seriously, as HLS Healthcare does with the introduction of the Esense, the backs of carers everywhere will give a collective sigh in relief! The Esense has a small footprint, a vertical column and most importantly.. it is powered. Force sensors in the handlebar interpret how the lifter is pushed, and translate this to generate the right direction and speed of the electric wheel under the lifter. The low operating forces are designed to prevent physical complaints caused by pushing and pulling. The intuitive control guarantees a minimal learning time and its compact design makes working in small spaces much easier.
Give your local HLS Healthcare representative a call today to discuss how this smart technology can improve not only your safety, but also compliance to best practice standards.
For more information please contact: sales@hlshealthcare.com.au
Or give us a call: 1300 931 893
