Parastomal Hernia - Lifting Guidelines and Employer Issues

I had a stoma operation last May 2022 and since have developed a parastomal hernia. I have been back to work since Christmas and have a weight restriction of 7kg put on my lifting capacity. This is now causing problems with my employer. Are there any guidelines on what I can lift as this is a generic number pulled from a chart for people after hernia surgery? I feel back to my normal self and feel I can continue in my previous post. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hello thehobbit.
Thanks for your post. Although this subject has come up before, most of the advice seems to have been not to lift very much at all. of course, this does not help very much with problems with your employer, whom I assume wants you to lift more than you should (safely).
I have no idea about appropriate weights, but it might interest you to know that Amazon(UK) have supplied their employees in their warehouses with a body-worn device that helps them to lift relatively heavy items without fear of damaging themselves in the process. 
I don't know the name of the device as I only saw it on a news item, and thought it was a good idea for anyone - especially people liable to hernias.
I could not find what I was looking for under back braces or support for lifting as they were all made of material and would not suit anyone with a stoma. However, eventually I found something similar to the devices I had seen under ‘exoskeletons’ 
I’ll reprint their introduction below and the website is well worth a look at, even if it is just out of curiosity. 
I think that if Amazon can provide their workers with these devices, then other companies ought to provide them as well. However, firstly they need to be aware that they exist, so it might be up to us to educate them!

For the relevant website just search the web for: Top 12 industrial exoskeleton technologies for industrial workers (roboticsbiz.com)

Best wishes

Bill.

Top 12 industrial exoskeleton technologies for industrial workers (roboticsbiz.com)
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) is one of the most common conditions among industry workers. Most strain injuries associated with MSDs, are caused by repetitive manual load handling, awkward movements, or positions of the human body while accomplishing tasks in the work environments.

A new technological solution to prevent these workplace injuries and aid workers in manual handling heavy loads is the exoskeletons, also known as wearable mechanical suits or assistive wearable robotics, designed to give users extra strength and increased endurance for repetitive tasks and enabled mobility.

When attached to a worker’s body, an exoskeleton increases a user’s physical performance and mechanical power by applying a power source, such as motors, hydraulics, or pneumatics. They are often called active exoskeletons since they use a power source to move the parts in conjunction with the user. In contrast, passive exoskeletons use non-powered options, such as springs and dampers, to aid the user’s motions and posture.

There are different kinds of exoskeletons available today, depending on what part of the body the exoskeleton is intended to aid. Generally, they fall under three categories: upper body (also known as an upper limb), lower body (also known as a lower limb), and full-body exoskeletons, which combine upper body and lower body functions.

This post will explore the top 12 industrial exoskeleton technologies available today in the market.

 

I bought an ostomy hernia belt. I've gotten them from Byram and Amazon. The ring should be close around your wafer to hold the hernia in. Even when I'm not lifting, it comes in handy. I put it around myself extra snug to help the new wafer seal down (over the bag, ring not in place) while I finish getting dressed.