The influence of health and safety regulations on the work safety of physiotherapists

Damian Durlak

D. Durlak – The influence of health and safety regulations on the work safety of physiotherapists. Fizjoterapia Polska 2021; 21(4); 26-31

Abstract
Introduction. Physiotherapists constitute a professional group particularly exposed to injuries to the locomotor system resulting from the specificity of their work. The occupational health and safety regulations and principles of ergonomics are applied to protect their bodies when they perform their work. In order for them to be effective, it is necessary for employees to know them and have an appropriate approach to their application.
Objective. In order to identify groups for which it would be justified to provide additional training, opinions and knowledge of a group of physiotherapists in the field of OHS and ergonomics were determined. The occurrence of a statistically significant correlation between the answers and the sociodemographic features of the respondents was studied.
Material and method. The study used a proprietary questionnaire form containing questions on the application of health and safety regulations and principles of ergonomics. The study was conducted on a group of 101 active physiotherapists.
Results. Most of the answers to the questions asked were correlated with sociodemographic features of the respondents. Most respondents believe that they have received sufficient OHS training, but do not believe that this knowledge could improve their quality of work or reduce the risk of contracting occupational diseases.
Conclusions. For the effective protection of physiotherapists’ bodies against the effects of their work, it is necessary to continually refresh their knowledge in the field of OHS and ergonomics. Properly prepared training can help change employees’ attitudes towards safety regulations.
Key words:
physiotherapists, occupational diseases, occupational health and safety, ergonomics
Article only in Polish language