Ergonomic Risks in Operating Rooms: An Unexplored Area in Mexico

On November 13th 2014, Mexico issued revised normative regarding issues of health and safety at work. For the very first time, consideration is given to the existence of work risks of ergonomic nature. These are formally defined as “the presence of physical overexertion, repetitive movements or unnatural postures, during the performance of a job, that may lead to fatigue, error, accident or occupational illness, and which is due to improper design of facilities, machinery, equipment, tools or work posts”. The normative calls for the identification and solution of those risks, and places the main responsibility on the employer and their representatives. It is enforceable on every single work area in the country as a whole. Operating rooms are a work environment where to date ergonomics has had little consideration, even though it is widely known the extent and severity of situations that fall clearly under the definition of ergonomic risks cited above. We have started an effort to do as mandated, considering the demands placed on surgeons of a variety of specialities. A proposal was put forward to the management committee and the ethics committee at a private hospital in Leon, Guanajuato. We requested the opportunity to review video recordings from surgical procedures completed in the operating rooms of the hospital, in order to first identify ergonomic risks for the personnel involved, and then propose solutions based mainly in a rearrangement of facilities and work procedures. The management committee has already pledged their support to the initiative. It is very likely that the same will happen at the ethics committee. Thus, at AHFE 2015 we shall be delivering a very interesting report on this so far unexplored facet of a most relevant work situation in Mexico.