Safe Patient Handling

Health care workers and the management of health care facilities have come together to support the passage of the Safe Patient Handling Act. The act is necessary to improve patient care, reduce workforce injuries, and help reduce overall health care costs in the state. Improper lifting combined with unsafe patient handling are the leading causes of workplace injury for direct care employees, nurses and other health care professionals.

 

Safe Patient Handling programs have been proven to reduce injury to both patients and caregivers by utilizing equipment that reduces manual lifting and repositioning of patients and residents. It makes fiscal sense by dramatically reducing workers’ compensation claims and lost work days due to caregiver injury. This legislation would establish a statewide safe patient handling policy that gives hospitals and nursing homes the flexibility for facility-specific implementation.