Bill > H1914

This bill mandates that certain health facilities, including acute-care hospitals, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities, establish a "safe patient handling policy" to protect both patients and healthcare workers from injuries related to lifting and transferring patients. This policy requires facilities to conduct risk assessments, implement ergonomic evaluations, and acquire specialized equipment like mechanical lifts and transfer aids to minimize manual patient handling, except in emergencies. Facilities must also form a safe patient handling committee, with at least half of its members being frontline staff, to oversee the program's implementation, provide specialized training to all relevant personnel at least annually, and establish procedures for workers to refuse unsafe handling tasks without reprisal. Additionally, facilities will be required to track and report injury data, and new construction or remodeling plans must incorporate the necessary infrastructure for patient handling equipment.