American Society of Safety Engineers News |
Michael Nowak |
for immediate release |
DES PLAINES, IL (July 6, 2005) — Focusing on how to reduce lower back injuries for healthcare practitioners is the basis of a new study by Ph.D. student and American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) member Grady Talley Holman of Opelika, AL. The ASSE Foundation awarded a $16,500 research grant to Holman, as he completes a study on lower back strain from patient handling/lifting in restricted spaces.
Holman will study the limitations healthcare practitioners encounter when they lift or assist patients in close quarters such as to the bathroom, shower and toilet, where lifting equipment may not be accessible. This study will also help determine the benefits and disadvantages of using patient handling aids in these restricted spaces. Utilizing multiple cameras to help analyze work positioning and postural strain, Holman's research will involve filming twenty test subjects (nurses and healthcare assistants ages 19-45) as they assist a medical testing dummy in a model hospital bathroom.
Holman received an M.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering and an MBA both from Auburn University, Auburn, AL, where he is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering. He received a B.S. in Manufacturing/Industrial Management and Physics from Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA. He is a member of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, the Association of Graduate Business Students and the Institute of Industrial Engineers.
Chartered in 1990, the ASSE Foundation is committed to ensuring the future of the occupational safety and health profession by providing financial resources to individuals and organizations. Funding for the Foundation comes from corporations and voluntary donations from ASSE members - individual and through chapters countrywide for applied safety research, scholarships, fellowships, internships and professional development. For more information on the Foundation and its programs visit www.asse.org/foundat.htm.
Formed in 1911, the Des Plaines, IL-based ASSE is the largest and oldest professional safety organization and has more than 30,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members who manage, supervise, research and consult on safety, health, transportation and environmental issues in all industries, government, labor and education. For more information check ASSE's website at www.asse.org.