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Page last reviewed: 02/22/2005
State Legislation
  • Minnesota. HB 712.2 safe patient handling legislation signed into law May 2007.
  • New Jersey [38 KB PDF, 7 pages]. S-1758/A-3028 safe patient handling practice act signed into law January 2008.
  • Ohio. House Bill 67 was signed into law on March 21, 2006, Section 4121.48.
  • Rhode Island [14 KB PDF, 5 pages]. House 7386 and Senate 2760 passed on July 7, 2006.
  • Texas. Senate Bill 1525 was signed into law on June 17, 2005.
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Nursing Homes and Personal Care Facilities

In 2010, nursing homes and personal care facilities had one of the highest rates of injury and illness among industries for which lost workday injury and illness (LWDII) rates are calculated. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing and personal care facilities experienced an average LWDII rate of 7.3 compared with 1.8 for private industry as a whole, despite the fact that feasible controls are available to address hazards within this industry.

Health care workers face a number of serious safety and health hazards. They include bloodborne pathogens and biological hazards, potential chemical and drug exposures, waste anesthetic gas exposures, respiratory hazards, ergonomic hazards from lifting and repetitive tasks, laser hazards, workplace violence, hazards associated with laboratories, and radioactive material and x-ray hazards. Some of the potential chemical exposures include formaldehyde, used for preservation of specimens for pathology; ethylene oxide, glutaraldehyde, and paracetic acid used for sterilization; and numerous other chemicals used in healthcare laboratories.

Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants had the highest rates of musculoskeletal disorders of all occupations in 2010. The incidence rate of work related musculoskeletal disorders for these occupations was 249 per 10,000 workers. This compares to the average rate for all workers in 2010 of 34.

In addition to the medical staff, large healthcare facilities employ a wide variety of trades that have health and safety hazards associated with them. These include mechanical maintenance, medical equipment maintenance, housekeeping, food service, building and grounds maintenance, laundry, and administrative staff.

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