By Erin Hicks
EMS1 Associate Editor
With health care personnel ranking among the most at risk for musculoskeletal injuries in the workplace, a new product is aiming to help ease the strain.
Transfer Pal, made by iTec Mfg, is designed to ease the transfer of patients to and from beds, cots and stretchers.
The device is made with closed-cell foam padding for patient comfort and a hard shell that can slide easily against all types of material.
The handles enable staff to utilize a trapeze grip, designed to decrease the risk of back injuries during transfer.
“Normally, responders use a sheet when transporting patients. This makes them put all the weight on their fingers and hands when lifting,” said Traci Wilson, marketing director for iTec Mfg.
“The Transfer PAL enables the [responder] to simply slide the patient over using two large handles. This allows for a trapeze grip and the use of the larger arm muscles thus reducing risk of injury.”
Wilson said the device takes only one staff member to transfer the patient. There’s no need for a second staff member to keep the patient from rolling back onto the sheet.
The transfer comes in two sizes, regular and bariatric.
On the market since July , representatives showed off the Transfer PAL at EMS Expo in Dallas, where it received a good reaction from attendees , according to Wilson. She said they were one of the finalists of the top 30 EMS Top Innovations at Expo (with the award to the top 20 to be presented at the Austin, Texas EMS show in November).
iTec Mfg also has been manufacturing the Multi-Grip Head Immobilizer since 1989. They also manufacture the Tank Boss portable oxygen cylinder lift. More information can be found at their website www.itecmfg.com.