Question

A skilled nursing care center has recently been investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration due to its high rate of workplace injuries, specifically the ones caused by lifting and transporting patients. OSHA discovered the workers were not performing these tasks appropriately.

Which risk management strategy should management implement to minimize these incidences in the future?
A.) Require all staff to be tested on ergonomics
B.) Educate all staff on the need for specific lifting devices
C.) Require all staff to have weight bearing training
D.) Educate all staff on the need for two people when lifting

Answer 1

To reduce workplace injuries at a nursing care center, management should educate staff on proper lifting techniques, provide weight bearing training, require lifting to be done by two people, and integrate ergonomics and safe patient handling into regular training.

Step-by-step explanation:

To minimize workplace injuries in a skilled nursing care center, specifically those caused by lifting and transporting patients, management should implement a risk management strategy that includes:

• Educating all staff on proper lifting techniques and the use of specific lifting devices.
• Providing weight bearing training which involves teaching staff how to handle loads safely.
• Establishing a policy that requires lifting to be done by two people, thereby reducing the risk of injury from lifting heavy loads alone.
• Ensuring regular testing and reinforcement of knowledge regarding ergonomics and safe patient handling procedures.

By integrating these strategies, the care center can address the OSHA findings and enhance the overall safety of the workplace, aligning with OSHA’s requirement that employers must find and correct safety and health problems, first trying to eliminate or reduce hazards by making feasible changes in working conditions.