Work and Teamwork Transparency an Ergonomic Assessment in Operating Room Facilities

Abstract

The objective is to analyze anesthesia workplaces in a multidisciplinary operating room facility, to understand the causes for problematic work procedures and to decide for improvements. The analysis include: observations, computerised recording of tasks and movements with the FIT-System, video and photo documentation. Documents are designed to confront the users with their own work situation and to support the explication of their knowledge in a semi-structured interview. The results are important lacks in: the misplaced devices outside of the human’s zones of reach and view, the difficult procedures to attach the lines between the patient and the devices and inconsistent workplace layouts. The causes therefore are design decision faults during the installation of the facility. The decisions for improvements are: the development of a new concept for a flexible equipment positioning and the design of a tool for cable handling. The discussion is, that from the project’s beginning the users mentioned the handling of the cables and lines as the mainly cause for work difficulties. But the outstanding ergonomist had a broader view of problems. The used method invokes a mutual (ergonomist and users) learn process and results in a common understanding of the problem’s background.