Vol. 1, Issue 2, Part A (2025)

Healthcare workers frequently engage in physically demanding patient-handling tasks that place considerable biomechanical strain on the musculoskeletal system, contributing to some of the highest rates of occupational injuries worldwide. This study aimed to analyze trunk posture, muscle activation, and movement patterns during common patient-handling activities to identify high-risk tasks and generate evidence-based recommendations for injury prevention. A cross-sectional observational design was employed, involving healthcare workers performing standardized lifting, turning, boosting, transferring, and repositioning tasks in a simulated clinical setting. Data were collected using wearable inertial measurement units, surface electromyography, and video motion analysis to quantify trunk flexion angles, normalized muscle activity, and physical load characteristics during each task. Statistical analysis, including repeated-measures ANOVA and correlation assessment, examined variability in biomechanical demand across activities and identified associations between postural deviations and muscular load.
Results showed that lifting and bed-to-chair transfer tasks required the greatest effort, producing significantly higher trunk flexion angles and muscle activation levels compared to other activities. Boosting and repositioning tasks also demonstrated substantial load patterns, although to a slightly lesser degree. A strong positive correlation was observed between increased trunk flexion and elevated muscle activation, indicating that more extreme postures generate greater strain on spinal and upper-body musculature. These findings highlight the ongoing risk of musculoskeletal disorders among healthcare workers and underscore the need for structured ergonomic interventions.
This study concludes that patient-handling tasks frequently surpass safe biomechanical thresholds and that targeted preventive measures are essential to reducing injury risk. Practical recommendations include regular training in safe patient-handling techniques, consistent use of assistive devices, optimization of workspace ergonomics, and systematic monitoring of worker posture using sensor-based tools. Implementing these strategies can significantly enhance worker safety, reduce musculoskeletal burden, and improve the overall quality of patient care.