MDS Alert
Tap OSHA Guidelines, Other Recs to Prevent Ergonomic Injuries
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Take advantage of the wealth of info available.
Key point: To rollout a program, you don't have to reinvent the wheel, according to Kathleen Rockefeller, PT, ScD, MPH, with the School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Facilities can seek help from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) or other agencies, tap safety specialists -- or do some Web searching to see what's out there, "which is quite a bit," Rockefeller adds.
For example, check out the OSHA "Guidelines for Nursing Homes: Ergonomics for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders," which the agency revised in 2009 (www.osha.gov/ergonomics/guidelines/nursinghome/final_nh_guidelines.pdf). The guidelines include various decision trees for repositioning and transferring residents (see pages 13, 15, and 16).
Example: When transferring a patient who weighs under 100 pounds to and from the bed to a stretcher, use a lateral sliding aid and two caregivers, whether the patient is partially or not at all able to help.
The CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has a publication on its Web site on how to set up a patient handling program in nursing homes, advises Rockefeller (www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2006-117/pdfs/2006-117.pdf).
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