Zero lift programs in small rural hospitals in Washington state: reducing back injuries among health care workers

AAOHN J. 2006 Aug;54(8):355-8. doi: 10.1177/216507990605400803.

Abstract

In Washington State, health care workers have the highest rate of compensable back injuries. Washington Hospital Services, a self-insured workers' compensation program, implemented a zero lift program in 31 of its 38 hospitals. Zero lift was defined as replacing manual lifting, transferring, and re-positioning of patients with mechanical lifting or use of other patient assist devices. This program included two trusts, two pools of hospitals that self-insure workers' compensation. The pools are governed by elected boards of trustees from the pool memberships and regulated by the State Department of Labor and Industries. This pretest-posttest descriptive study compared patient-handling injury data prior to program implementation with those after program implementation. Patient-handling injury claims decreased by 43% in the participating hospitals from 2000 to 2004 (i.e., from 3.51 to 2.23). The time lost frequency rate decreased by 50% (i.e., from 1.91 to 1.03).

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Accidents, Occupational / prevention & control*
  • Accidents, Occupational / statistics & numerical data
  • Back Injuries / economics
  • Back Injuries / epidemiology
  • Back Injuries / etiology
  • Back Injuries / prevention & control*
  • Causality
  • Cost of Illness
  • Ergonomics / methods
  • Hospital Bed Capacity, 100 to 299
  • Hospital Bed Capacity, under 100
  • Hospitals, Rural*
  • Humans
  • Inservice Training / organization & administration
  • Insurance Claim Reporting / statistics & numerical data
  • Lifting / adverse effects*
  • Mass Screening / organization & administration
  • Nursing Assessment / organization & administration
  • Occupational Health Services / organization & administration*
  • Organizational Policy
  • Personnel, Hospital / education
  • Program Evaluation
  • Safety Management / methods
  • Transportation of Patients / methods
  • Washington / epidemiology
  • Workers' Compensation / economics