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BMH Recognized Nationally for Reducing InjuriesMarch 17, 2004 - (BUTLER, PA) – Butler Memorial Hospital employees and their efforts have been recognized in a national journal outlining the hospital’s success at reducing work-related injuries. BMH’s Worker Safety/Injury Prevention committee was featured in an article in the Winter 2004 Journal of the Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare."Prevention of Work-Related Lifting Injuries: Our Hospital’s Approach" was written by Karen Bosley, manager of Employee Health and J. Mark Edwards, the Risk Management/Safety Officer at BMH. It describes the work of BMH’s Worker Safety/Injury Prevention Committee. The Committee, formed in July 2001, at BMH consists of a physician, Bosley, Edwards, an ergonomist, an employee educator, a staff nurse, the Director of Rehabilitative Services and the Systems Improvement manager. The committee was charged with developing a plan to reduce lifting injuries among employees. They consulted with the safety personnel from a steel factory to learn about their success. In addition they conducted an employee survey to learn about attitudes and opinions regarding current lifting practices. The hospital administration gave the Committee $80,000 for equipment purchases and to finance education for employees about proper lifting and when to use lifting equipment. In addition, the Butler Health System Foundation awarded the Committee a $10,000 grant to develop a Clinical Arts Lab and to purchase the equipment to complete that lab. The lab is used to train new employees about safe lifting techniques and to continue to educate current staff that may need a refresher lesson on using some of the lifting equipment available in the hospital. The committee conducted several equipment fairs, giving employees the opportunity to test patient transfer equipment. The ergonomist evaluated results and equipment was purchased. Staff education was conducted and new equipment and procedures were trialed in the Transitional Care Facility at the hospital. Previously, this skilled nursing unit had a higher number of employee lifting injuries. Observation followed training and then staff usage was observed daily. Employees were recognized and rewarded for following procedures. This was then repeated throughout the organization. By Fall 2002, the project was expanded to include the entire organization, with training conducted based on lifting challenges in each area. After the first year, the hospital realized a 33% injury decrease which reduced worker’s compensation costs by $125,000. The efforts of the Worker/Safety Injury Prevention committee were also recognized in the December 2003 issue of Hospital Employee Health. |
More Information For more information on this or other Butler Health System news, call Public Relations at 724-284-4200 or email Public Relations. |
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