A lack of information exists on how to handle obese patients, says a recent
Australian Safety and Compensation Council report.

The report, 'Manual handling risks associated with the care, treatment and
transportation of bariatric (severely obese) patients in Australia', found that
emergency and funeral workers may face increased OHS risks when working with
obese people.

'The initial research suggests that there is a lack of information on how to
handle bariatric patients safely,' said ASCC Chairman Mr Bill Scales AO.

'Improvements need to be made to OHS management systems so they address the
manual handling risks associated with the care of bariatric patients.'

Limited access to specialist equipment and training to assist in managing obese
patients is often the case in regional health care, emergency services and
small funeral businesses, he added.

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AplusA-online.de - Source: Australian Safety and Compensation Council