The State of Texas has passed TX SB 1525, the first state legislation signed into law requiring hospitals and nursing homes to implement a safe patient handling and movement program. Signed by Texas Governor Rick Perry June 17, 2005, TX SB 1525 will take effect January 1, 2006.
Unlike workers in other industries, healthcare workers are constantly challenged by working with people who come in all shapes, sizes, conditions and abilities. Ergonomics, particularly when working with bariatric or obese patients, can be an even greater concern and challenge.
“The Texas Nurses Association has worked long and hard on passage of this important legislation.” Commented Anne Hudson, RN, BSN. “With Texas the first state to succeed with passage of legislation, a number of other states continue working toward legislative protection of healthcare workers against preventable injury from manual patient lifting.”
Hudson sees this as a huge step forward, and hopes that “eventually all of the United States will mandate safe patient handling practices like those already in place in countries more advanced in protecting nurses and patients against injury from manual lifting.”
For an in-depth look at this and other healthcare ergonomics-related subjects, see The Ergonomics Report www.ergonomicsreport.com to read the latest.
Sources: Texas Legislature – www.capitol.state.tx.us; www.wingusa.org