Florida Senate - 2016                                     SB 486
       
       
        
       By Senator Bullard
       
       
       
       
       
       39-00521-16                                            2016486__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to patient lifting and handling
    3         practices; creating s. 381.029, F.S.; defining the
    4         term “hospital”; requiring hospitals to establish a
    5         policy concerning the lifting and handling of patients
    6         by hospital employees; requiring a committee to
    7         develop the policy; providing for membership and
    8         duties of the committee; requiring continuing
    9         evaluation of the policy; providing an effective date.
   10          
   11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   12  
   13         Section 1. Section 381.029, Florida Statutes, is created to
   14  read:
   15         381.029 Patient lifting and handling practices.—
   16         (1) As used in this section, the term “hospital” means a
   17  health care facility licensed under chapter 395.
   18         (2) A hospital shall establish an evidence-based policy
   19  regarding the safe lifting and associated handling of patients
   20  by hospital employees that minimizes the risk of injuries to
   21  patients and employees. The policy shall be developed by a
   22  committee composed of a representative mix of management and
   23  nonmanagement employees, including registered nurses engaged in
   24  direct patient care. The hospital may assign the task of
   25  developing the policy to a newly created committee or to an
   26  existing committee.
   27         (3) The committee shall:
   28         (a) Use relevant data to evaluate the risk of injury to
   29  patients and employees resulting from the lifting and associated
   30  handling of patients.
   31         (b) Determine the appropriateness of alternative strategies
   32  for lifting and handling patients based on the population of
   33  patients at the hospital and identified hospital-specific risk
   34  factors. At a minimum, the committee shall consider:
   35         1. Using mechanical lifting devices or other physical
   36  changes to patient care areas of the hospital that minimize the
   37  need to lift and handle the patient 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 for
   42  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 July 1, 2016.