Worker Safety in Hospitals
Did you know that a hospital is one of the most hazardous places to work? In 2011, U.S. hospitals recorded 253,700 work-related injuries and illnesses, a rate of 6.8 work-related injuries and illnesses for every 100 full-time employees. This is almost twice the rate for private industry as a whole.
OSHA created a suite of resources to help hospitals assess workplace safety needs, implement safety and health management systems, and enhance their safe patient handling programs. Preventing worker injuries not only helps workers—it also helps patients and will save resources for hospitals.

Download the overview and explore the links to learn more about the resources available on this website
https://www.osha.gov/dsg/hospitals/index.html.

SAFETY OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND THEIR PATIENTS ‘TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN’
http://blogs.hcpro.com/osha/2017/05/safety-of-healthcare-workers-and-their-patients-two-sides-of-the-same-coin/

Whitepaper- Safe Patient Handling Equipment in Therapy Practice: Implications for Rehabilitation

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MUST READ FOR PT/OT- an excellent study of the benefits of using your SPHM Equipment to increase treatment options and impact outcomes.

March 2,  2017

Medical Diagnostic Equipment Final Rule
The Access Board, under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, has published a final standard addressing access for people with disabilities to medical diagnostic equipment. The standards provide design criteria that will allow independent access to diagnostic equipment, including types that require transfer from wheelchairs and other mobility aids. Provisions address transfer surfaces, support rails, armrests, compatibility with lift devices, and other features to facilitate transfer. This session will provide an overview of this important rulemaking.

For more information, click here. 

Ceiling Lifts for Bariatrics
Ceiling lifts have gained in popularity due to some of the implementation issues which arise with the use of portable base patient lifts….
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Bariatric Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Guidebook: A Resource Guide for Care of Persons of Size
VHA Center for Engineering & Occupational Safety and Health (CEOSH) St. Louis, Missouri

Bariatric Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Guidebook: A Resource Guide for Care of Persons of Size

OSHA Safe Patient Handling Web Page

OSHA has a very extensive set of tools and resources on this page entitled Worker Safety and Health in Hospitals: Caring for our Caregivers. Please visit it at the following link.

https://www.osha.gov/dsg/hospitals/patient_handling.html

FDA Patient Lift Website

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ASSE
The American Society of Safety Engineers, Healthcare Practice Specialty Group
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NIOSH
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has established a new Safe Patient Handling page.
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AOHP
The Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare, is dedicated to the health and safety of healthcare workers. AOHP is the only national professional organization with the exclusive mission of addressing the needs and concerns of occupational health professionals in healthcare settings.
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United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Safe Patient Handling and Movement – VISN 8 Patient Safety Center of Inquiry, Tampa

Key Objective: To develop and test innovations and decrease risk related to patient handling and movement. An outstanding resource. The algorithms for safe patient handling and movement are particularly useful.
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Safe Lifting News
Monthly newsletter designed to keep you informed about what’s happening in the world of safe patient lifting and caregiver injury prevention.
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National Patient Safety Agency
The National Patient Safety Agency leads and contributes to improved, safe patient care by informing, supporting and influencing the health sector.
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Backcare
BackCare is a national charity that aims to reduce the impact of back pain on society by providing information, support, promoting good practice and funding research.
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The National Back Exchange
National Back Exchange is a multidisciplinary group for those with an interest in backcare and prevention of work related musculoskeletal problems.
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Health and Safety Executive
Manual handling – frequently asked questions. Links to sources of guidance, research, and information on Musculoskeletal disorders in the health and social care services sector, plus links to other health sector related MSD guidance and research.
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Legislation.gov.uk
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
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Manual handling training
Investigation of current practices and development of guidelines Prepared by the Work and Health Research Centre for the Health and Safety Executive 2007
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Risk assessment and process planning for bariatric patient handling pathways
Prepared by Loughborough University for the Health and Safety Executive 2007
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MovingAndHandlingInstructors.co.uk
A great source of safe patient handling information from the UK.
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Moving and Handling Newsletter
Includes a variety of SPH topics from around the world. Free subscription available
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Ergonomics in Healthcare
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Ergonomic Risk Assessment Tools (AIHA Ergonomics Toolkit)
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Patient care ergonomics resource guide: safe patient handling and movement
By the Patient Safety Center of Inquiry of the Veteran’s Health Administration and the Department of Defense, Ergonomics Technical Advisory Group. This guide may be the most comprehensive resource to date for health care facilities on workplace assessment; equipment evaluation; patient assessment; no-lift policies; administrative strategies; and establishing competency programs.
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Nursing home initiative: getting to zero
The Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention (SHARP) program within the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries launched an initiative to implement and evaluate ergonomic interventions in the nursing home industry.
Read more…

OHSAH: The Occupational Health & Safety Agency for Healthcare in British Columbia
This non-profit agency is dedicated exclusively to the health and safety of health care workers. Its Web site includes excellent materials on patient handling issues and ergonomics.
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OSHA
This Web site for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration contains materials related to nursing home hazards and ergonomics in health care.
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NIOSH
he National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has produced dozens of excellent reports, health hazard evaluations, research digests and fact sheets about ergonomics.
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New York State Public Employees Federation
The New York State Public Employees Federation publishes an equipment directory of patient handling equipment as a resource guide to facility-based ergonomics committees. This comprehensive directory contains toll-free numbers and brief descriptions of state-of-the-art lifting devices, lateral transfer equipment and other useful tools.
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Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine
This webpage is dedicated entirely to ergonomics in health care.
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WING-USA: Work Injured Nurses Group
This site includes links to legislative and other news about preventing ergonomic injuries among nursing personnel.
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