Taking position: when using lifts, injury prevention means following a proper routine.

One of the most compelling arguments in favor of socalled "safe lift" policies is the prevention of injuries to caregiver staff personnel. In particular, back injuries and related musculoskeletal disorders have emerged as a virtual pandemic, affecting nearly 40 percent of all nurses, creating staff shortages driving personnel lout of their professions and wreaking havoc with worker compensation costs.

Most healthcare facilities have patient lifts available to assist staff members during the process of lifting, transferring or repositioning patients. But fare they being used effectively? Here are 10 steps designed to encourage proper use of patient lifts and successful implementation of a facility-wide lift and transfer process.

* Appoint a responsible person or committee. Most experts agree that without sponsorship and oversight by a responsible person or committee, any investment in lift equipment is largely ineffective. It's also important to have users on the committee as well as purchasing representatives and someone from risk management.

* Establish a formal training program. The most fundamental require merit for success is training of caregiver personnel. It's not enough to make the lifting equipment available. Equipment training, policy training, and ergonomic body mechanics should all be covered in detail with all personnel who will be responsible for transferring or repositioning patients. The lift supplier must be able to provide long term training support and materials. Further, since some degree of cultural adaptation is often necessary, consider sessions on Change Management for supervisory and administrative personnel.

* Ensure easy access and maintenance of equipment. Evaluate placement and storage of lifts to ensure easy access and proper charging, and be sure that equipment is periodically inspected and maintained.

* Evaluate patient type and dependency. Proper application of the lift equipment is necessary for safe and effective lift execution. By properly assessing the patient's size, weight, condition (i.e. hip replacement) and action to be performed (such as supine lifting, toileting or repositioning), and by matching this information against the manufacturer's specifications, the chances of avoiding problems are much greater.

* Ensure proper application of slings and accessories, Don't assume that "close enough" is an adequate strategy when applying lifts and slings. Institute a process for properly evaluating and applying equipment. If questions arise, be prepared to contact your lift manufacturer and ask for a recommendation. The safety, comfort and well-being of patients and staff are at stake.

* Post checklists and other aides. Wherever lifts are parked, post checklists that include items such as checking slings for signs of wear, sanitary requirements, lift operating fundamentals, and secure fastening of pins and straps.

* Purchase the optimal number of lifts and slings. Needs based on patient dependency levels and how caregiver activities are distributed throughout the day should be assessed. Equipment and slings that are rarely available or hard to find will result in caregiver frustration.

* Follow recommended sanitary and laundering procedures. Proper disinfection and laundering will help ensure an optimal life cycle for slings, pads and related equipment.

* Keep and periodically analyze data--then react accordingly, View your entire patient lift and transfer process as part of a larger overall program of patient safety. By tracking data, reporting incidents and periodically assessing effectiveness, injuries can be dramatically reduced. Use what you've learned and integrate this into your Continuous Quality Improvement program.