1. BODY MECHANICS
CHAPTER 23

2. BODY MECHANICS
As a PSW, many of your daily activities include lifting, moving, transferring and carrying.
Your number one priority as a support worker is personal and client safety when transferring, moving and positioning.
Back injuries are very common among health care workers.
Knowing the proper techniques and using your body correctly will ensure your safety as well as the client’s safety.

3. BODY MECHANICS
Body mechanics refers to the movement of the body in an efficient and careful way. It involves:
Good posture
Good balance
Using the strongest and largest muscles for work. (shoulders, upper arms, hips, thighs)

4. BODY MECHANICS Good body mechanics reduces the risk of injury.
Body alignment (posture) is the way the body parts are positioned in relation to one another. Good body alignment:
Lets the body move and function with strength and efficiency
Reduces strain on the muscles and joints
Prevents injury

5. BODY MECHANICS Good body alignment includes: (SEE PG. 434)
Erect and straight head and neck
Parallel shoulders and hips
Shoulders back
Chest out
Straight spine
Abd tucked in
Knees slightly flexed
Arms hanging comfortably
Feet shoulder width apart
Toes pointed forward, one foot slightly forward

7. BODY MECHANICS
The position of your feet is very important, they provide your base of support.
Base of support is the area on which an object rests.
A wide base of support provides stability and balance.

8. BODY MECHANICS BODY POSITIONS FOWLER’S POSITION – sitting position
SEMI-FOWLER’S – semi sitting position
SUPINE – also called dorsal recumbent, is the back lying position
PRONE – front lying or lying on the stomach
LATERAL – side lying position
SIMS – left side lying position c Rt. leg flexed and Lt. arm along the back
SITTING – sitting in a chair, w/c etc

9. BODY MECHANICS
THERE ARE A FEW THINGS YOU MUST MAKE SURE OF BEFORE YOU TRANSFER, POSITION OR LIFT!
Brakes are on wheelchair, bed or mechanical lifts
The bed is at a proper working height
The side rails are down, but only on the side you are working on!

10. SKILLS Guidelines for good body mechanics pg 435 Turning the person
Applying a brief
Providing a bedpan
Logrolling the person – pg 441
Raising the person’s head and shoulders
Moving the person up in bed – pg 439
Moving the person up in bed with a lift sheet
Moving the person to the side of the bed
Helping the person sit at the side of the bed & dangle- pg 451
Transferring a person to a chair or wheelchair – pg 462