Healthcare Company Workers
CASE STUDY
Healthcare Company that produces and packages sterile products
or hospitals
Background
In April 1997 an employee of "Healthcare" who was experiencing back
pain at work received, from a friend who was using one, a
recommendation to try the Bambach Saddle Seat. The employee
subsequently ordered one and began using it at work. Her supervisor
was impressed by the way the Bambach Saddle Seat improved her
ability to work comfortably and efficiently and also noted her
improved posture. He suggested that the Bambach Saddle Seat would
work well for employees working in the 'clean room', and he
arranged a demonstration to be given to the several interested
groups within the company, including the Directors, the
Occupational Health and Safety Committee and all supervisors. As a
result the seat went on trial to see whether it would satisfy the
requirements of the industry as well as the needs of the employees
themselves.
Requirements for this Industry
The seat had to be suitable for a sterile and corrosive
environment. It also had to receive full acceptance by the
employees, who were being asked to radically alter the way they had
been sitting, virtually all of their lives.
Modifications needed
Seat specifications required:
- a five star base with hooded case and stainless steel
pintels;
- a gas lift, with an outer casing in stainless steel with fitted
plastic telescopic housing;
- a cradle with stainless steel internal mechanism;
- a seat covered in surgical vinyl sewn with nylon thread and
attached with stainless steel staples.
Employee Concerns
Employees wanted information, demonstrations and an undertaking
from the company to provide suitable clothing, ie. skirts to be
replaced with trousers.
Contact with company
Bambach Saddle Seat personnel visited the company to give
demonstrations, answer staff concerns, and to note the special
requirements for components.
Literature and videos were left to inform the supervisors,
staff, and members of the Occupational Health and Safety Committee.
The benefits and all the comments from the staff, positive and
negative were discussed.
Result
The benefits of the Bambach Saddle Seat as seen by the staff
outweighed the difficulties.
Benefits seen by employees
- Good for your back;
- Provided better position than standing position;
- Compact;
- Easy to reach work area;
- Easy to manoeuvre;
- Good for your neck;
- Comfortable to sit when your feet are on the bar under conveyor
belt (which is used if employees legs are too short to reach the
ground).
Problems seen by employees
- Unladylike position of the legs;
- Unhygienic;
- Uncomfortable;
- Move too fast on tiled floor;
- Uniform restricts sitting with legs astride for females.
All the negatives were overcome and the strict specifications
for the work environment were met.
Ten seats were ordered November 1997; a further five were
ordered in November 1998. Two seats were ordered by the pharmacist,
whose work is located at a hospital laboratory, followed by more
orders for seats used on location at other hospital
laboratories.
A follow up call was made in December 1998 to assess differences
in the workplace after introducing the Bambach Saddle Seat. The
supervisor answered that the seat had made a difference by:
- Providing an alternative to standing to work;
- Employees spent less time standing;
- Employees were able to get closer to their work;
- Workers don't get as tired.
A Comment about Absenteeism
Absenteeism has decreased from an average of 13 days per employee
per year to 7 days. It could be other influences, as there has been
a lot of meetings with the employees to discuss this, but the
(Bambach Seat Seat) may have helped.
At present there are 14 seats in total being used by the
"Healthcare" company.
It is anticipated that, as the staff see the benefits of the
Bambach Saddle seat, more units will be acquired, The interest that
management of the Healthcare Company takes in the welfare of their
employees is outstanding.
