Susan's accident
Did you know?
Back injuries can be very serious, and are the most common injury reported in the workplace.
Let's find out what happened when Susan hurt her back at Cybertots.
'It had been a busy day in the 0 – 2 years Room, and I'd just finished tidying up. There was a whole load of towels, nappies and cloths that need to be soaked before washing, so I was taking them to the laundry to put them in to soak.
Nicole had left the bucket on the floor, because she was also soaking some items in the anti-bacterial solution. I wanted to drop all the nappies, cloths and towels into the bucket too.
I decided it might be a good idea to move the bucket over to the side, out of the main laundry floor area. The bucket was heavier than I expected, and as I bent over and tried to move it I felt a sharp pain in my back. I couldn't straighten up. I had to call out for someone to help me.'
Back injuries can be very serious – in fact, they're the most common injury reported in the workplace. In a child care centre, you are often required to lift things, so it is important that you are aware of the correct lifting procedures to use so that you protect yourself against back injury.
Lifting safely
Time to find out about lifting safely and protecting your back. Click on each step to see the best way to lift the box.
- Assess the load
- Get close to the load
- Set your feet apart for balance
- Relax your knees
- Lower your body and bend your knees
- Lower your head
- Get a firm grip
- Raise your head and look around
- Straighten your legs
- Lift, then turn your feet before walking
In your notebook, write down your thoughts on how Susan's accident could have been prevented. Include at least 3 things she could have done differently.
Have a look at Susan's incident report (Word 81Kb) that was completed following Susan's accident.
Seems it can be pretty easy to seriously injure yourself. Susan was trying to get the day's duties finished so that she could go home, and before she knew it, she was on the way to the Medical Centre with what appeared to be a serious back injury. Ryan and Salwa had to help her walk – she couldn't straighten her back and she was in considerable pain.
Injuries like this not only cause pain for the person involved, but they are very disruptive to the centre's operations. The children are really missing Susan and keep asking where she is. Last week, they made her a beautiful 'Get Well' card and sent it to her.
You can find out more about correct manual handling by reading
Correct manual handling principles.
In your notebook, write a summary of 3 important things to remember to minimise the risk of injury.
