title: Manual handling incident claims in the healthcare sector: Factors and outcomes.
abstract: Manual handling (MH) incidents may result in injury, absenteeism and/or compensation claim.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the factors associated with MH incidents among healthcare workers who had made a claim, and the management and outcome of those workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A national sample of healthcare sector MH incident claim files (n=247) were accessed and 35~files met the inclusion criteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected and presented graphically or descriptively using percentages (and 95% Confidence intervals, CI). Chi-square (χ2) tests were used for comparing proportions between groups. SPSS (v14.0) was used for analysis. Significance at p<0.05 is assumed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Attendants accounted for the highest number of claimants. The majority of claims (74%, 95% CI 68%, 81%) were for back injury; 11% (8%, 15%) for neck injury. Fifty-one percent (43%, 60%) involved patient-handling tasks at the time of incident; 46% (37%, 54%) involved inanimate handling. Ninety-one percent (89%, 94%) took sick leave, with 52% (43%, 60%) taking > 52 weeks. Only 58% (49%, 65%) returned to work. Claimants who had been in communication with employers were significantly more likely to return to work than those who did not (χ2 test, p=0.017).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improved management of MH incidents and injured workers are recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. sara.dockrell@tcd.ie
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dockrell
authors.forename: Muriel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ganly
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bennett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D019981:Health Care Sector; D006801:Humans; D017770:Lifting / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055805:Moving and Lifting Patients / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D018582:Sick Leave; D055815:Young Adult