Identifying the problem areas was a good first step
The San Diego Ophthalmology group had earned the dubious reputation as a high-injury department.
They had a quarterly injury rate of 23.6 and problems ranged from carpel tunnel to back issues. The majority of complaints was caused by sitting at the computer for long periods, typing and doing repetitive motions like using a mouse.
Medical assistants and technicians also frequently complained about having trouble navigating the cluttered, unsafe vision lanes—the small alcoves where nurses and medical assistants evaluate patients before escorting them to exam rooms.
Being flagged a high-injury department, the team was determined to identify the causes of the injuries and how to prevent them from occurring.
The department took Workplace Safety training and instituted a number of measures to identify and fix potential hazards at all four ophthalmology departments. Those measures included ergonomic evaluations, new chairs and foot rests, and installing stretch break software on all computers.
They conducted regular safety checks and created the “I Spy” program, which has previously injured workers conducting safety observations to identify potential problems.
The team also revamped the department’s vision lanes.
These often were cramped and potentially unsafe environments with electrical cables stretched across the narrow floor. Computers and blood pressure carts created additional tripping hazards.
“You had to maneuver around patients and wheelchairs, and generally feel confined, waiting to trip or bend wrong,” says Anna Garcia, a medical assistant and UBT member.
So, they mounted blood pressure machines and KP HealthConnect computers on the walls, instead of using carts. They purchased new chairs for patients, particularly for older patients who have difficulty getting into narrow spots or are in wheelchairs.
By moving power outlets closer to the mounted equipment, electrical cords were no longer in the way. And they painted the walls that ophthalmologists used during eye examinations.
“The nice thing is if I need to maneuver now, it’s not a move I’m going to regret later on when I get home, when my back is hurting,” Garcia says.
Ophthalmology went 335 days without an injury.
But keeping workplace safety in everyone’s awareness was a challenge.
“The equipment makes a difference, but our behavior also makes a difference. It takes a while for that to happen. It doesn’t happen overnight,” Vickie Lance, assistant department administrator says.
Feedback from people outside the UBT also proved invaluable.
“I’ve been in this department for 15 years and I didn’t know there was a problem. Once we saw it on paper, it made a big impact,” Lance said. “And the visual picture of before and after is wonderful. It makes us feel like we’ve accomplished something.”