Fair warning

“ [Oncology nurses] are applying significant force against the plunger of the
syringe and their fingers are outstretched for extended periods. It’s not
surprising they’re in pain and reporting injuries.”
“It was definitely easier to use than the regular syringe,” Kondo says.
Arlyn Heywood, BC Cancer Agency education resource nurse, has
also tried the adaptor and says its use is straightforward and
comfortable.
“It didn’t seem to take much effort at all to deliver the medication,”
Heywood says. “It could make a big difference in terms of nurses’
level of comfort.”
Benefits of device could be far-reaching
It’s not just oncology nurses who could benefit from an adaptor such
as this one. So could pharmacists, who are required to prefill those
syringes, and who face many of the same problems of pain and
injury because of repetitive motions at awkward angles.
Both Kondo and Heywood caution that their observations are based
on the use of the adaptor in a mock setting and not on real people.
However, the next step is clinical trials with actual patients, and the
adaptor is poised for commercial production and distribution. The
device won an Excellence in BC Healthcare Award last year from
the Health Employers Association of BC: the 2012 Award of Merit
for Workplace Health Innovation.
16
� Certificate of Recognition (COR)
The program recognizes and rewards employers who
implement health and safety management systems.
Participate in the COR program, improve your overall safety
performance, and your organization could be eligible to
receive an incentive cheque from WorkSafeBC.
Visit our website or contact us for more information on
safety management systems and the COR program.
� Are you looking for safety training?
We can meet any training need, and
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Knowledge
sharing the
March / April 2013 WorkSafe Magazine
—Rick Hall, ergonomic advisor for the Provincial Health Services Authority
Patrick Rebstein, associate director of the BC Cancer Agency’s
technology development office, says it’s been exciting to see the
concept of the adaptor come to fruition.
“The PHSA’s goal is to be able to nurture and support this kind of
innovation,” he says. “It’s been a team effort to identify a problem
people on the frontlines are experiencing and then find a solution.
We’ve worked together to move it forward. It’s been a thrill to see the
adaptor be so effective. WorkSafeBC’s support was instrumental to
this project.”
Contact: Cathy Cook, Executive Director
P: 778-278-3486 F: 778-278-0029
E: ccook@bcmsa.ca www.bcmsa.ca
WorkSafeBC director of Research Services Susan Hynes says the
organization supports this kind of practical innovation, because of
its effectiveness in reducing injury — a benefit to workers and
employers alike. Furthermore, the methods used in this project
could be applied to the development and evaluation of other
ergonomic products in the health care field.
“This project was truly innovative. It looked at something as familiar
as a syringe in a new way, in order to minimize injuries,” Hynes says.
“This kind of research is an example of how a relatively simple
change can make a big difference to worker health and safety.”
� Save the dates!
The 2013 BC Municipal Occupational Health and Safety
Conference will be held October 20-22, 2013, at the
Victoria Conference Centre. This biennial conference
provides a forum for all municipalities, school boards and
other public sector organizations to exchange success
strategies on health and safety issues through a series of
presentations, workshops and panel discussions.
� More information and resources are
available on our website, or by calling
or emailing Cathy Cook.