MOVE AND POSITION INDIVIDUALS

Move and Position Individuals

Moving and positioning people safely

Introduction

Individuals require a different level of support in moving, depending upon their condition. The situation can vary from needing a little help as to just get up from the chair, to being completely dependent on the other as to move from place. When the individuals require assistance of extreme level, then it is the responsibility of the worker to be extra careful while moving. Many people get injured while moving these individuals. Back injuries are most common, and people have to leave this job, if it happens (BackCare, 1998). Therefore, care should be a priority, to oneself, the client, and others around.

Discussion

There are two basic elements is moving individuals (Unit HSC 360, 2008). The first element is about preparing the equipment, individuals themselves, and the environment. The second element entails the knowledge of carrying people safely.

The first element has three major sub-elements, infection control, assessing risk and taking special care of back. Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 governs the acts in moving a person. It is the joint responsibility of both the employer and employee to safely move the individual seeking care.

Individuals taking the responsibility to move others must be competent in doing so, because of following reasons. First, there is a chance of getting transferred infection. Therefore, care needs to be taken in this regard. Second, the risk assessment should be done before moving the individuals. There are set of responsibilities at the end of employee and the employer. The employer needs to avoid such hazardous manual handling to the maximum extent. The employer should also assess the risk of injury in any unavoidable hazardous manual handling and the employer needs to reduce the risk to the minimum extent.

The employee's duties is to follow the guidelines provided, minimize the risk of injury by proper use of equipment, take care as the activities can put others at risk as well, and finally apply the employer's duties as relevant to the situation. Ideally the workplace should have a Back Care Advisor (BCA) (BackCare, 2005). These experts can provide proper method of handling the moving process, without posing any danger to their own back.

The key to do the job of moving is to communicate with the person effectively. The person should be taken into confidence regarding the acts of mover. If the person is conscious, talk ...