Manual patient handling remains one of the leading causes of injuries among healthcare workers. Despite increased awareness and documented benefits of using safe patient-handling technologies and processes, many care environments still rely on their caregivers undertaking manual lifting, transferring, and repositioning of patients or residents.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), lifting, transferring, repositioning, and moving patients without proper techniques or equipment can cause serious caregiver injuries, including acute back injuries and chronic back pain. WHO reports that up to 72% of nurses worldwide suffer from chronic low back pain, a condition strongly associated with patient-handling tasks and linked to staff absence, reduced efficiency, increased healthcare costs, and staff turnover.

“Manual patient handling is not only outdated, it is unsafe for both patients and caregivers, says Sara Thomas, Director of Arjo Mobility Outcome Programs. “No caregiver should risk long-term injury simply by doing their job, especially when proven solutions already exist. The healthcare sector needs a shift toward safer, evidence‑based approaches.”

As a global leader in patient-handling and mobility solutions, Arjo supports healthcare providers with a comprehensive approach that integrates assessment, equipment, training, and long-term program support. This strategy aligns directly with the prevention measures outlined by WHO and international occupational health authorities.

“Our solutions are designed to remove the need for unsafe manual lifts altogether”, explains Sara Thomas. “When caregivers have access to the right equipment and processes, injury rates can drop significantly, and the quality of patient care improves.”

But equipment alone is not enough. Sustainable injury prevention requires behavioral change and a supportive culture.

“Injury prevention is as much about building a culture of safety through education and smarter care workflows,” adds Sara Thomas. “We work closely with healthcare providers to create long-term strategies that protect caregivers and improve patient outcomes.”

As the need for healthcare grows and staff shortages intensify, protecting the health and well-being of frontline workers has never been more critical.

“Decades of data show that most manual patient‑handling injuries are preventable when safe patient‑handling programs and mechanical lifting technologies are used consistently,” says Sara Thomas. “At Arjo, we remain committed to partnering with healthcare providers worldwide to set a new standard of safety in patient mobility.”

Learn more in our Clinical Evidence Summary: Download the Clinical Evidence Summary | Arjo

For more information, please contact:

Sara Thomas, Director of Arjo Mobility Outcome Programs
sara.thomas@arjo.com

References:

Occupational safety and health in public health emergencies, World Health Organization (WHO), 2018 (https://iris.who.int/server/api/core/bitstreams/bd7be140-fcff-4716-8018-2e4be627b948/content)  

The factors of non-specific chronic low back pain in nurses: A meta-analysis, Weige Sun, Haijiao Zhang, Limei Tang, Ying He, Suzhai Tian, 2021 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33492279/)