EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WORKERS

Reports and Publications

Patient Handling

Designing ergonomic interventions for EMS workers: concept generation of patient-handling devices
Applied Ergonomics:  November 2008 / 39(6):792-802 
The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to generate ideas for the design of new EMS patient-handling devices that were framed within the contextual reality of the end user firefighter/paramedics. Guided by an ecological model of musculoskeletal injuries in the fire service, focus groups were conducted with 25 firefighter/paramedics from 13 suburban fire departments.

Designing ergonomic interventions for emergency medical services workers - part III: bed to stairchair transfers (NIOSHTIC-2: 20032526)
Applied Ergonomics: September 2007 / 38(5):581-589 
The objective of this work was to test interventions aimed at reducing the low-back musculoskeletal loads experienced by firefighters/paramedics providing emergency medical services that involve transferring a patient between a bed and a stairchair.

Designing ergonomic interventions for EMS workers - part II: lateral transfers (NIOSHTIC-2: 20031802)
Applied Ergonomics: March 2007 / 38(2):227-236 
The objective of this work was to test ergonomic interventions aimed at reducing the low back musculoskeletal loads experienced by firefighters/paramedics providing emergency medical services when performing lateral transfers between a bed and a stretcher or between a stretcher and a hospital gurney.

Designing ergonomic interventions for EMS workers, Part I: transporting patients down the stairs
Applied Ergonomics: January 2007 / 38(1):71-81 
The objective of this work was to test ergonomic interventions aimed at reducing the magnitude of trunk muscle exertions in firefighters/paramedics providing emergency medical services when transporting patients down the stairs.