Authors (including presenting author) :
LO CSL(1), TSANG DSW(1), WONG KCM(1), FOK JPC((1), CHAN IKY(2), LAU JKY(2), NG TKH(2), CHAN BSC(2), CHAN KY(3), LAM SSL(3)
Affiliation :
(1) Occupational Medicine Care Service (OMCS), Department of Family Medicine, NTEC (2) Department of Central Administration, SH, BBH & SCH (3) OSH Committee, SH, BBH & SCH
Introduction :
Cleaning in hospital is the dual functions of providing surface cleanliness and infection prevention and control, especially during COVID-19 pandemic. Service demand and workload of all workers in central supporting service team (CSST)are increasing rapidly who duties require to spend most of the workday on their feet while cleaning, pushing equipment which need the strength and flexibility to kneel, crawl, stoop or bend and the manual dexterity to open containers and use cleaning tools during their day-to-day work. In view of the injury on duty (IOD) rate of CSST from 2016 to 2019, it noted on rising trend both on SH, BBH & SCH. Although, most studies have validated the use of different injury prevention strategies are able to decrease the incidence of work-related injuries. A tailor-made work injury prevention program should be designed and implemented in central supporting service team in SH, BBH & SCH.
Objectives :
-To promote and enhance workplace occupation safety and health -To facilitate timely return-to-work (RTW) for injured staff to resume a worker’s role and regain productivity -To increase worker morale
Methodology :
An on-site work injury prevention program was designed and implemented in 2020, it included: 1.Risk analysis on detailed of job tasks and the work environment 2.On-site visit to identify of injury-related problems in work situations, 3.OSH improvement measures and control of the workplace hazards 4.Trailer-made manual handling operation training to address their specific need to enhance staff’s engagement 5.Trailer-made disability management program for staff with health problem affecting work in addition injury on duty management 6.Job-specific supervisor-training program on concept of job accommodation and RTW facilitation 7.Collect feedback by interviewing with staffs and supervisors, allow to voice out their ideas were adopted with coaching and introduction of appropriate assistive devices 8.Based on staff’s health condition, OMCS RTW facilitation would emphasize on genuine communication among injured staff and supervisor with expectation management and realistic goals setting
Result & Outcome :
After implementation, significant improvement in both IOD case number and IOD sick leave day were noted. In SH, the former dropped from 5 cases in 2018 to 1 case in 2022, the latter dropped from 59 days to 9 days. In BBH & SCH, IOD cases numbers dropped from 3 cases in 2019 to 0 case in 2022, sick leave day with significant dropped form 223 days to 0 day. In addition, high satisfaction rate was received from staffs and supervisors from on-site trainings and OSH improvement recommendations. Supervisor’s feedback was also very promising that the program had addressed the need of staff and aroused their safety awareness at work. Therefore, high acceptability and engagement among workers and supervisors are core elements to make this work injury program successful.
