Simon Love BA MCSP SRP Moving & Handling Practitioner Advanced Member National Back Exchange Chair of Yorkshire Branch Product review panel

The profiling bed The dos and don’ts For personal comfort

Beds come in an enormous variety of designs Huge variety of functions Based on the ‘average’ anthropometrics

People are all different

in the persons position in bed can make a Small changes in the persons position in bed can make a disproportionate difference to their comfort

Do you know what you weigh? Mass x Acceleration The mass of the body creates a vector force as it is accelerated by gravity

Do you know what you weigh? This force is calculated by:- Mass in Kgs x 10 (gravitational factor)= Number of Newtons 80kg x 10 = 800N

by any part of the body must reach the ground The force generated by any part of the body must reach the ground

Force creates a pressure Dependant upon the Surface area in contact

Pressure = F/Surface Area P=F/SA

of the weight has no effect Large surface area of the weight has no effect on the block of wood despite a force of 100n

drawing pin increases the pressure exerted by the 100n The small surface area of the drawing pin increases the pressure exerted by the 100n

Pressure = F/Surface Area Narrow leg pieces = Small surface area = Increased pressure = Discomfort? Wider leg pieces = larger surface area = Decreased pressure = More comfort?

Exercise 1

Pressures 78 71 75 82 90     

Pressures 78 71 75 82 90     

Comfort scale 0=extremely uncomfortable 10=extremely comfortable   0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Comfort scale 0=extremely uncomfortable 10=extremely comfortable   0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

UP Resultant Force Forwards