Marie Bellemare

Allowing for MSD Prevention During Facilities Planning for a Public Service: An a Posteriori Analysis of 10 Library Design Projects

Research was conducted to identify an ergonomics-based intervention model designed to factor in musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) prevention when library projects are being designed. The first stage of the research involved an a posteriori analysis of 10 recent redesign projects. The purpose of the analysis was to document perceptions about the attention given to MSD prevention measures over the course of a project on the part of 2 categories of employees: librarians responsible for such projects and personnel working in the libraries before and after changes. Subjects were interviewed in focus groups. Outcomes of the analysis can guide our ergonomic assessment of current situations and contribute to a better understanding of the way inclusion or improvement of prevention measures can support the workplace design process.

Innovation in the occupational health physician profession requires the development of a work collective to improve the efficiency of MSD prevention

Given the ageing population of occupational health physicians and the deteriorating situation of employee health, reforms targeting the multi-disciplinary nature of occupational health are currently being drawn up. These are of great concern to doctors in terms of the future of occupational health, notably with regard to changing medical practices. The objective of this study is to explore the actual practices of occupational health physicians within the framework of MSD prevention in France. By analysing the activity of occupational health physicians, we could gain a better understanding of the coordination between those involved in OHS with the ultimate goal being to improve prevention. Based on an analysis of peer activity, this method made it possible to push beyond pre-constructed discourse. According to activity theories, it is through others that the history and controversies of a profession can be grasped and skills developed. The results produced by these collective discussions on activity analysis contributed to establish a collective point of view about the important aspects of their profession that need defending and the variations in professional genre in relation to the current reforms, notably.

Improving a workstation in an existing cab by means of a participatory approach: the case of subway operators' workstations.

A study was conducted to identify possible solutions for redesigning a subway cab in order to improve the posture of drivers working in a restricted space. The approach used included the participation of a working group comprised of operations, maintenance, and engineering managers as well as several drivers. After 6 meetings in which different simulation techniques were used, the working group proposed changes for increasing the available space inside the cab and three seat designs. The involvement of the actors from the three departments affected by the changes, as well as the operators, throughout the process, was a determining factor in the advancement and acceptance of the projects. The fact that 400 cars are currently in service and must be modified means that it will take several years to implement the modifications in the entire fleet.

Overall risk index for patient transfers in total assistance mode executed by emergency medical technician-paramedics in real work situations

Few studies have quantified the risk of musculoskeletal disorders during patient transfers in total assistance mode in real-life prehospital emergency care situations. An index to assess the overall risk of patient transfers was created; it makes it possible to quantify risk based on the patients position and the height of the patients location. An analysis of 71 transfers executed by paramedics in actual work situations showed that moving a patient from the ground was characterized by acute sagittal flexions and axial rotations, respectively, 42% and 12% of the time. When the patient was lying on a raised surface, the lifting index and perceived exertion were the lowest (2.55; easy). According to the overall risk index, patient transfers from the ground are the riskiest. Paramedics execute many risky lifts even in favorable patient handling contexts.