Tips for Childcare Facilites

Volume 1, Number 7

What are the risk factors for childcare workers?

The typical risk factors for childcare workers are repetitive bending, static bending, and lifting children from floor level, as well as into and out of cribs/playpens, and up to and down from changing tables.

What are some possible control measures?

• To reduce lifting the child up to and down from changing tables, consider a walk-up changing table (http://www.jonti-craft.com/). Existing changing tables can be modified with steps as well.



• Involve the children as much as possible when picking up toys, serving and clearing meals, and simple clean up jobs.
• Consider raising the height of playpens and cribs to minimize bending. The bottom of the crib should be adjusted to minimize lifting, while at the same time not raising the child to a height where he/she is at risk of climbing or falling out. Playpens can be placed on elevated surfaces to help reduce bending.
• Encourage providers to sit down while interacting with the children. Providers tend to bend more than necessary, especially while working with the child for long periods of time.
• Teach providers to use the “build the bridge” technique while bending. That is, get them to support their upper body weight on their knee or a piece of furniture with a free hand while bending. This can substantially reduce the load on the spine, especially during any degree of sustained bending.
• Use good body mechanics. Keep the child close to the body while lifting and minimize any twisting. Move the feet, do not twist the upper torso.
• Instead of just bending and squatting, kneel on one or two knees. Consider providing the caregivers with kneepads. Kneeling will reduce the amount of bending and squatting and will allow the providers to move with the child. There are a variety of kneepads, including foam and gel types that are more comfortable to wear.

Resources

• http://blink.ucsd.edu/Blink/External/Topics/Policy/0,1162,6272,00.html
• http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/dosh_publications/Erg_ChildCare.pdf

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The information herein is for reference only and State Fund does not warranty its accuracy or fitness for a particular purpose. Any products, references, or links to Web sites are not an endorsement by State Fund or its employees, but serve only as examples to assist you with your workplace design changes. State Fund cannot be held liable or accountable for content on linked Web sites.