At hospital A&E departments, staff often experience working days where the situation can change from calm to hectic from one minute to the next.

For this reason, it is essential to focus on the staff’s working environment and patient safety – and on optimising work procedures.

A&E departments have to deal with a wide range of needs, often involving multiple hospital functions and areas of care. Depending on the diagnosis and situation, different patient groups need to be moved from one location to another for examination and treatment, often during the early stages of admission.

In the period up to discharge, there will inevitably be gaps between dependence and independence, where the patient may be at risk of falling and staff may have to deal with unintended incidents and/or work-related injuries.

Common lifting and moving tasks at A&E departments:

• Moves to and from a bed, stretcher and/or chair
• Moves to/from the toilet
• Repositioning patients closer to the headboard of a bed
• Turning patients
• Lifting extremities

Safety, comfort & hygiene in A&E departments

A ceiling hoist or free-standing lifter with the appropriate sling(s) helps ensure that patients can be moved, positioned and repositioned in a comfortable manner, while placing the least possible strain on staff – and thus reducing the risk of friction injuries, unintended incidents and work-related injury.

Installing a ceiling hoist system in A&E departments makes it possible to raise the level of safety, for the benefit of patients and staff alike.