| (2) increase the use of ergonomic principles and ergonomically
designed devices to reduce injury and fatigue.
(cc) The policies and procedures adopted under subsection
(bb) of this section must address at least the following:
(1) evaluating new products and technology that incorporate
ergonomic principles;
(2) educating nurses in the application of ergonomic
practices;
(3) conducting workplace audits to identify areas of
risk of injury, occupational illness, or violence and recommending
ways to reduce those risks;
(4) controlling access to those areas identified as
having a high risk of violence; and
(5) promptly reporting crimes committed against nurses
to appropriate law enforcement agencies.
(dd) The LSRH shall adopt, implement and enforce policies
and procedures to identify, assess, and develop strategies to control
risk of injury to patients and nurses associated with the lifting,
transferring, repositioning, or movement of a patient. The policies
and procedures shall establish a process that includes at least the
following:
(1) analysis of the risk of injury to both patients
and nurses posed by the patient handling needs of the patient populations
served by the LSRH and the physical environment in which patient handling
and movement occurs;
(2) education of nurses in the identification, assessment,
and control of risks of injury to patients and nurses during patient
handling;
(3) evaluation of alternative ways to reduce risks
associated with patient handling, including evaluation of equipment
and the environment;
(4) restriction, to the extent feasible with existing
equipment and aids, of manual patient handling or movement of all
or most of a patient's weight to emergency, life-threatening, or otherwise
exceptional circumstances;
(5) collaboration with and annual report to the nurse
staffing committee;
(6) procedures for nurses to refuse to perform or be
involved in patient handling or movement that the nurse believes in
good faith will expose a patient or a nurse to an unacceptable risk
of injury;
(7) submission of an annual report to the governing
body on activities related to the identification, assessment, and
development of strategies to control risk of injury to patients and
nurses associated with the lifting, transferring, repositioning, or
movement of a patient; and
(8) development of architectural plans for constructing
or remodeling a LSRH or a unit of an LSRH in which patient handling
and movement occurs, with consideration of the feasibility of incorporating
patient handling equipment or the physical space and construction
design needed to incorporate that equipment at a later date.
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