Joe has worked in the Blood Bank for 10 years. He will retire next week and Sara will fill his position. One of the tasks that Joe routinely performed was replacing the 10 liter saline cube located on the technical workbench. However, Sara realizes that she cannot safely lift the 10 liter cube and place it on the benchtop.
An employee's stature and lifting capabilities are important variables in a physical task. Since the employee cannot physically change, other solutions must be considered. This situation is easily resolved by changing the size of the container in use.
Ergonomic solution: The Blood Bank will begin using 5 liter saline cubes that can be easily lifted by all members of the staff. The Blood Bank will also acquire a cart or hand truck for other heavy items. This scenario demonstrates that a change in staff may require ergonomic action to prevent injury.
