Case Study

There is a high levels of musculoskeletal problems have been found among cleaners in a number of studies, both in England and in Europe. The problems of musculoskeletal included the muscular aches, pains and discomfort. It is a very big physical pressure to elderly cleaners. The Government and the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) have set targets to reduce the number of days lost through illness and injury at work.

As a cleaner there is a lot of manual work need to do, including mopping, wiping, sweeping,

polishing and moving rubbish bag. The cleaners at the nursing home used a Kentucky mop in conjunction with a bucket with a wringer system but without wheels. The cleaner had to put as much force as possible into squeezing. Pain and discomfort were reported by all cleaners in their wrists and backs.

Solution of this case study:

This differed from the previous equipment as the buckets had wheels, were taller to reduce bending and had longer wringer handles to reduce the level of force required to squeeze the

Mop.

After the design of mopping equipment was changed, it helps us more easy to complete the cleaning tasks. As it reduce the level of force to bend and make it more comfortable and convenience to the users.


Reference:

Health and Safety Executive. “Guidance and case studies on how to prevent musculoskeletal disorders”. Caring for cleaners. First published 2003.

<http://www.qub.ac.uk/safety-reps/sr_webpages/safety_downloads/caring_for_cleaners.pdf>