| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to patient lifting and handling practices; |
| 3 | creating s. 381.029, F.S.; providing a definition; |
| 4 | requiring hospitals to establish a policy concerning the |
| 5 | lifting and handling of patients by hospital employees; |
| 6 | establishing a committee to develop the policy; providing |
| 7 | for membership of the committee; requiring continuing |
| 8 | evaluation of the policy; providing an effective date. |
| 9 |
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| 10 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Section 1. Section 381.029, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 13 | to read: |
| 14 | 381.029 Patient lifting and handling practices.-- |
| 15 | (1) As used in this section, the term "hospital" means a |
| 16 | health care facility licensed under chapter 395. |
| 17 | (2) A hospital shall establish an evidence-based policy |
| 18 | regarding the safe lifting and associated handling of patients |
| 19 | by hospital employees that minimizes the risk of injuries to |
| 20 | patients and employees. The policy shall be developed by a |
| 21 | committee composed of an appropriate mix of management and |
| 22 | nonmanagement employees, at least half of whom are clinical |
| 23 | employees engaged in direct patient care, including registered |
| 24 | nurses engaged in direct patient care. The hospital may assign |
| 25 | the task of developing the policy to a newly created committee |
| 26 | or to an existing committee. |
| 27 | (3) The committee shall: |
| 28 | (a) Use data to evaluate the risk of injury to patients |
| 29 | and employees. |
| 30 | (b) Determine the appropriateness of alternative |
| 31 | strategies for lifting and handling patients based on the |
| 32 | population of patients at the hospital and identified hospital- |
| 33 | specific risk factors. At a minimum, the committee shall |
| 34 | consider: |
| 35 | 1. Using mechanical lifting devices or other engineering |
| 36 | controls that minimize the need to lift and handle the patient |
| 37 | manually. |
| 38 | 2. Using teams to lift and handle patients. |
| 39 | 3. Providing training in safe lifting and handling |
| 40 | practices for employees engaged in caring for patients. |
| 41 | 4. Incorporating physical space and construction design |
| 42 | for mechanical lifting devices in architectural plans for |
| 43 | construction or renovation of the hospital. |
| 44 | (c) Develop an ongoing evaluation process to determine the |
| 45 | effectiveness of the policy established under this section. |
| 46 | Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2008. |