| Designing Trolleys | |
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| Ergonomic Guidelines | |
| • | Workplaces must be safe (OHS regulations). |
| • | Equipment must be safe and safely used, to our 'state of knowledge'. |
| Background: | |
|
These guidelines summarise what is known at this time. They come
(mainly) from "Ergonomic Guidelines for Manually-Handled Trolleys
in the Health Industry" being a research report (1994) sponsored
by Central Sydney Health Service and supported by a grant from Work Safe
Australia. Full acknowledgment is made to Judith Lawson (Chief Investigator)
and Jules Potiki (Assistant Investigator) and Helen Watson (Research Assistant),
and to CSHS and WsA. |
|
| Industry statistics show: | |
| • | Proper standards and practices have reduced injuries to nursing staff. |
| • | Domestic and catering staff still suffer a high rate of injury due to poorly designed trolleys, wrong heights of heavy weights, slippages, etc. |
| • | Common
injuries: hit by trolley 48%, caught between trolley & hard surface
21%, pulling/pushing/lifting trolley 15%. |
| - Many of these accidents would be avoided if | |
| • | These guidelines are used when designing trolleys |
| • | and when doing Risk Assessment prior to using them |
| These
guidelines are grouped under the following headings. Click the heading below to go to that recommendation. Alternatively get the complete .pdf version - click here. Use Acrobat navigation tools to move between pages. Clicking your browser's 'Back' button will bring you back to this page. |
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| Trolley Forces and Loads | |
| Trolley Design | Height Length Width Shelf Height Shelf Design Sides / Gates Handle Details Buffers Towing Fixtures Materials & Structure |
| Castor Design | Diameter Tyre Material Castor Number and Arrangement Tyre Width and Profile Bearings Threadguards Brakes and Locks Springs |
| Use,
Maintenance and Training |
Use - Travel Routes - Lifts - Ramps - Doors - Floor Surfaces - Ridges, Gaps and Holes - Loading Trolleys into Trucks - Reversing Castors - Sideways Movement Maintenance Training |