Using Risk Assessment to Determine the Safe Handling of Children

Scientific evidence related to the manual handling of children (a person under the age of 18) is limited internationally compared to the evidence on materials handling or assisting adults. In addition, the manual handling of children is often an emotive area, where expert opinion can be varied and contradictory. One of the main challenges when lifting and transferring children is to balance the needs of the child, parents, siblings, and staff with the child’s potential physical and mental development and the opportunities and aspirations everyone has for each individual child. In the United Kingdom, practice is not only driven by an evidence base but has other influences, such as health and safety, social, and human rights legislation. This article considers how an assessment template, combined with the facilitating skills of the assessor, can improve the manual handling experience of everyone involved through selected case studies.

Johnson C

Keywords: safe patient handling, pediatrics, risk assessment