Bill > S1124

This bill mandates that certain health facilities, including acute-care hospitals and nursing homes, implement Safe Patient Handling Programs to reduce the risk of injury to both patients and healthcare workers during lifting and transferring processes. These programs require facilities to conduct risk assessments, identify necessary lifting equipment like mechanical lifts and transfer aids, and provide specialized training to staff on safe handling techniques and equipment use, with annual retraining mandated. The bill also establishes Safe Patient Handling Committees, with at least half of their members being frontline, non-managerial employees, to oversee the program's implementation. Furthermore, facilities must develop procedures allowing healthcare workers to refuse unsafe patient handling tasks without disciplinary action, and they are required to track and report injury data annually. The bill also sets deadlines for acquiring necessary safe patient handling equipment and for incorporating the needs of this equipment into the architectural plans for new or remodeled facilities.