Purpose 

This policy establishes how will enhance employee safety and well-being by identifying and correcting patient handling risk factors on the job. This policy also provides ways to ensure that safe patient handling techniques are being used when assisting patients/residents with transfers or repositioning. This policy is designed to ensure all patients/residents are safely cared for while making sure our direct patient care staff is safe as well. 

Scope

This policy applies to all direct patient care staff who are exposed to patient handling risk factors. 

Reference

This procedure was developed in accordance with OSHA recommendations regarding safe patient handling and the OSHA General Duty Clause. 

Responsibilities

The following responsibilities apply to various levels within the company.  

Senior management will:  

- Require the full application and integration of this policy into daily operations, as applicable, in all areas of responsibility and with all direct reports;  

- Assess managers and supervisors on their ability to apply this policy to their areas of responsibility; - Provide the equipment for staff to use to reduce the rate of risk when transferring or repositioning the patient; and - Provide available staff to comply with this policy. 

The Safe Patient Handling Committee will administer all aspects of this policy, including:  

- Maintaining and updating the written program as required; 

- Identifying tasks and locations that pose the greatest risk of transfer and/or repositions injuries to staff and patients/residents; 

- Coordinating training for direct patient care staff; 

- Recommending the best equipment to use to minimize injuries; 

- Coordinating with all departments so that when remodels occur, the best safe patient handling equipment is installed and practices are implemented; 

- Providing necessary technical assistance to managers and supervisors; 

- Periodically assessing the effectiveness of this program and its implementation in all affected areas of the company; 

- Developing a patient mobility assessment and criteria for staff to use when carrying out safe patient handling tasks; and - Reviewing all safe patient handling incidents to identify root causes and improve the process for patient handling tasks. 

- Know how this policy applies to those areas under their direct control;  

- Integrate and enforce the provisions of this policy in their areas of responsibility;  

- Ensure safe patient handling equipment is available for use by staff;  

- Coordinate training for direct patient care staff; and  

- Provide appropriate coaching and corrective action when necessary to ensure this policy is fully integrated. All direct patient care staff will:  

- Integrate the provisions of this policy into their daily activities as applicable;  

- Follow all training, instructions and directives relative to this policy; and 

- Seek clarification whenever there are questions concerning the application of this policy into daily operations.  

Policy Evaluations and Updates 

It is our goal to maintain a safety program that is understandable and effective and that promotes a safe work environment. Any employee can make recommendations for improvement to this program or any other aspect of our safety system. These suggestions should be directed to any supervisor, member of management, safe patient handling committee member or the safety administrator.

Definitions 

- Direct patient care staff: An individual doing the job of directly providing physical care to 

patients/residents. 

- Safe patient handling: A process based on scientific evidence on causes of injuries that uses safe patient handling equipment rather than people to transfer, move, and reposition patients/residents to reduce workplace injuries. This process also reduces the risk of injury to patients/residents. 

- High-risk patient handling task/technique: All patient handling tasks can have a risk of musculoskeletal injury for staff performing the tasks. These include but are not limited to transferring, lifting, repositioning, assistance with activities of daily living and other care tasks. During any patient handling task, if any caregiver is required to lift more than 35 lbs. of a patient’s weight, the patient should be considered to be “total assist” and assistive devices should be used to complete the task. 

- Manual lifting: Lifting, sliding, transferring, repositioning, and moving patients/residents without the use of approved safe patient handling equipment. 

- Safe patient handling equipment: Engineering controls, lifting and transfer aids, or mechanical assistive devices used by nurses and other direct patient care workers instead of manual lifting to perform the acts of lifting, transferring and repositioning of patients/residents. 

Lift Equipment

Each department should follow the lifting procedures for their job tasks within that department. If a variance from those lifting procedures is necessary, the direct patient care staff member will contact their supervisor.

All lifts will be used in accordance with their manufacturer’s instructions and training that was provided to each employee who would be utilizing the lifts.

Supervisors and staff will ensure lift equipment is stored appropriately and conveniently.

Patient Mobility Assessments

Patient mobility will be assessed upon arrival at the facility and reassessed on an ongoing basis. This includes an assessment of:

• Cognitive function, and

• Physical abilities.

If safe patient handling procedures cannot be used on a patient, the employee must consult with their manager.

Identifying Problem Jobs

There are several methods used to identify jobs that are most likely to result in lifting incidents.

- Reactive measures: annually reviews its injury and illness records to identify any patterns of lifting-related injuries and illnesses. 

- Proactive measures: reviews jobs with significant lifting risk factors. All manual lifts should be eliminated to the extent feasible by providing mechanical lifts for direct patient care staff to use.

Maintenance and Inspection  

- Staff must complete a maintenance request when they find a broken piece of lifting equipment and inform their supervisors that the equipment is not available for use until it is fixed. 

- Staff MUST remove the broken piece of lifting equipment from service and tag it so other employees are aware the equipment is not available for use. 

- Managers must monitor and budget for mechanical lifting devices and aids replacements for existing equipment when it needs to be replaced. 

- Mechanical equipment is required to be on a preventative maintenance program and inspections should be completed in a timely manner. 

Reporting Injuries/Incidents 

When problems are identified for correction, supervisors and direct patient care staff in the affected areas should be notified.  

- If there is an injury or incident where either a member of the staff or a patient is injured, the staff member must report the injury or incident to their supervisor.  

- The supervisor will fill out a first report of injury for staff injuries and also record any injuries for the patients/residents. For incidents, a report will be written. Both will be reviewed by the safe patient handling committee, and recommendations will be issued.

- For each incident or injury, a file of the improvements and changes that are completed will be maintained. The file contains documentation of the patient handling incidents or injuries, actual changes made and any similar incidents that occurred after the changes were implemented.

Employee Education and Training 

Training will be conducted on sound, safe patient handling principles and practices and will include the following: 

- How to recognize workplace risk factors associated with lifting patients/residents and the ways to reduce exposure to those risk factors; 

- An overview of ergonomics and how it relates to safe patient handling; 

- How to use the required equipment and when to use specific lifts (e.g., floor plans, environmental setups); - An overview of reporting procedures of employee and patient/resident injuries; 

- The opportunity to practice and demonstrate proper use of implemented control measures and safe work methods that apply to the job; 

- Staff will complete and document training initially, annually, and as required to correct improper use/understanding of safe resident handling and movement; and  

- Training will be done using pertinent instructional materials from lift equipment manufacturers and will include “hands on” practice and the opportunity for trainees to ask questions.

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