IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 510 

Recognizing the need for safe patient handling and movement. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 4, 2009 

Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York (for herself and Mr. SMITH of New Jersey) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Energy 

and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the need for safe patient handling and 

movement. 

Whereas registered nurses and other health care workers are 

being asked to lift and transfer unreasonable loads, with 

the average nurse lifting 1.8 tons on an eight-hour shift; 

Whereas the Bureau of Labor Statistics consistently rates 

‘‘registered nursing’’ and ‘‘nursing aides and orderlies’’ 

in the top 10 of all United States occupations reporting 

on the job injuries resulting in days away from work, 

with the leading causes of these injuries being tasks involving patient movement, transferring, and repositioning; 


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•HRES 510 IH 

Whereas 12 percent of nurses leave the profession permanently every year because of back pain, and 47 percent 

of nurses have considered leaving the profession because 

of the physical demands of their job; 

Whereas 54 percent of nurses report that patient lifting and 

transferring devices are not readily available for use in 

their health care facility; 

Whereas the National Institute for Occupational Safety and 

Health has reported that manual patient lifting is associated with decreased quality of care, diminished patient 

safety and comfort, decreased patient satisfaction, and 

increased risk of patient falls, patient drops, friction 

burns, dislocated shoulders, skin tears, and bruises; 

Whereas costs associated with back injuries in the healthcare 

industry are estimated to be $20,000,000,000 annually; 

Whereas a case study published by the Agency for Healthcare 

Research and Quality shows that the direct and indirect 

costs associated with a safe lifting program are recouped 

in 4.3 years through significant reductions in workers’ 

compensation payments and by avoiding the costs associated with caregiver absenteeism; and 

Whereas research has shown that safe resident lifting programs reduce resident-handling workers’ compensation 

injury rates by 61 percent, lost work day injury rates by 

66 percent, restricted workdays by 38 percent, and the 

number of workers suffering from repeated injuries: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) encourages safe patient movement for di3 rect-care licensed nurses and other health care proVerDate Nov 24 2008 04:11 Jun 05, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR510.IH HR510

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•HRES 510 IH 

1 viders as a critical component in protecting licensed 

2 nurses and other health care workers and increasing 

3 patient safety; and 

4 (2) recognizes that the National Institute for 

5 Occupational Safety and Health has reported that 

6 manual patient lifting is associated with high rates 

7 of injuries for health care workers, labor shortages, 

8 decreased quality of care, diminished patient safety 

9 and comfort, decreased patient satisfaction, and 

10 higher risks of patient falls, patient drops, friction 

11 burns, dislocated shoulders, skin tears, and bruises. 

Æ 


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