1. technology and computing
2. consumer electronics
3. tv and video equipment

SPH Training Series – Session 2
Facility and Equipment Assessments and
Hands-on Equipment Training
Western New York Council on Occupational Safety & Health (WNYCOSH)
This material was produced under grant number SH-24926-13 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Dept.
of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Dept. of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial
products, or organizations imply endorsement by the US Government.
Equipment and Environmental
Needs Assessment
AGENDA:
 Patient/Resident Handling Equipment
and Devices
 Equipment Needs Assessment
 Facility Environment Assessment
 Hands-on Demonstrations of Equipment
Equipment, Environmental and
Organizational Needs Assessment
OBJECTIVES:
SPH/SRH Team participants will be able to understand…
 What equipment and devices are available to eliminate high-risk
patient/resident manual handling tasks
 How to assess your equipment needs and match your purchases
to your census
 How to assess your facility environment
 How to assess your organizational capacity to achieve “buy-in”
 How to use SPH/SRH Equipment
Section 1
Equipment
 Engineering Control Strategies
 Mechanical Lifts
 Ambulation Assists
 Transfer Devices
 Friction-reducing Devices
 Height-adjustable Devices
Section 1: Equipment
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
 What’s this
manual lift called?
 What’s the risk to
the worker?
patient/resident?
 How could we
eliminate the risk?
Section 1: Equipment
ENGINEERING CONTROL STRATEGIES
The Preferred Control Method:
 Eliminate the need to do the
hazardous activity
 Redesign the activity to reduce
the hazard: equipment and other
assists
Section 1: Equipment
MECHANICAL LIFTS
Full Mechanical Lift
Sit-to-Stand Lift
Source: OSHA
Section 1: Equipment
CEILING LIFTS
Source: OSHA
Section 1: Equipment
AMBULATION ASSIST
Source: OSHA
Section 1: Equipment
FRICTION-REDUCING DEVICES
Source: OSHA
Section 1: Equipment
CONVERTIBLE WHEELCHAIR
Source: OSHA
Section 1: Equipment
VARIABLE POSITION CHAIR
Source: OSHA
Section 1: Equipment
TRANSFER BOARDS
Source: OSHA
Section 1: Equipment
LIFT CUSHIONS AND LIFT CHAIRS
Source: OSHA
Section 1: Equipment
GAIT BELTS
Source: OSHA
Section 1: Equipment
ELECTRIC HEIGHT ADJUSTABLE BED
Source: OSHA
Section 1: Equipment
REPOSITIONING DEVICES
Source: OSHA
Section 1: Equipment
HEIGHT ADJUSTABLE BATHTUBS &
EASY-ENTRY BATHTUBS
Source: OSHA
Section 1: Equipment
BUILT-IN OR FIXED BATH LIFTS
Source: OSHA
Section 1: Equipment
SHOWER AND TOILETING CHAIRS
Source: OSHA
Section 1: Equipment
BATH BOARDS AND TRANSFER BENCHES
Source: OSHA
Section 1: Equipment
TOILET SEAT RISERS
Source: OSHA
Section 1: Equipment
GRAB BARS AND STAND ASSISTS
Source: OSHA
Section 2
Equipment Needs Assessment
 Inventory
 Maintenance
 Quantity
 Purchasing
Section 2: Equipment Needs Assessments
EQUIPMENT USE INVENTORY
 Name of equipment/device
 Do you have it in your facility?
 If yes, how many on each unit?
 What’s the weight limit (if applicable)?
 Is it in good working order?
 How often is it used on each shift?
Section 2: Equipment Needs Assessments
EQUIPMENT USE INVENTORY CHECKLIST
GROUP ACTIVITY #1
Page 3 of Student Workbook Guide
Section 2: Equipment Needs Assessments
EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE
Section 2: Equipment Needs Assessments
PATIENT/RESIDENT CENSUS
& EQUIPMENT NEEDS
 Number of Independent Patients/Residents
 Number of Supervision/Limited Assist
Patients/Residents
 Number of Extensive Assist Patients/Residents
 Number of Dependent Patients/Residents
Section 2: Equipment Needs Assessments
HOW MUCH EQUIPMENT DO WE NEED?
EQUIPMENT TYPE
AMOUNT PER
patient/resident/Resident OF NEED ON
THE UNIT
Full Mechanical Lifts
1 per 8 patients/residents of need
Sit-to-Stand Lifts
1 per 8 patients/residents of need
Gait Belts w/ Handles
1 per 2 patients/residents of need
Slip Sheets/Phil-E-Slide, Maxi
Slide/Surehands
1 per 8-10 patients/residents of need
Hover Mat/Air Assists
Look at what your need is and
where you’d use them
Ceiling Lifts/Tracks
# of fully-dependent and
bariatric patients/residents, tub
and specialty rooms
Section 2: Equipment Needs Assessments
HOW MUCH EQUIPMENT DO WE NEED?
EQUIPMENT TYPE
AMOUNT PER
PATIENT/RESIDENT OF NEED
ON THE UNIT
Electric Control Beds
1 per 8 patients/residents
of need
Slings
 Hygiene
 Mesh
 Universal
 Padded
 Quick Fit
 Full-Body
 Hammock
 Bathing
 Sit-to-Stand  Amputee
 Positioning
1 per patient/resident
(Note: Sling needs should be
determined by patient/resident
case load and needs)
Section 2: Equipment Needs Assessments
PURCHASING EQUIPMENT
Questions:
 Have you made a big purchase in your life recently?
 What were you looking for?
 How did you decide to choose what you did?
 Does anyone regret his/her purchase? Why?
 How might your experience apply to the equipment
you purchase?
Section 2: Equipment Needs Assessments
PURCHASING EQUIPMENT:
HOLD AN EQUIPMENT FAIR
 Contact vendor references
 Invite a few vendors
 Involve direct care
staff/patients/residents
 Evaluate, select and pilot use of
equipment
Section 2: Equipment Needs Assessments
PURCHASING EQUIPMENT:
SELECTION CRITERIA
 Appropriate to Task
 Fits in Facility Environment
 Safe for Patient/Resident Caregiver
 Easily Kept Clean
 Comfortable for Patient/Resident
 Cost-Effective
 Easy to Understand
 Time-Efficient (not too many steps)
Section 2: Equipment Needs Assessments
PURCHASING EQUIPMENT:
KEY VENDOR QUESTIONS
 Reliability: established in our state?
 Customer Service: repair/replacement?
Turnaround time?
 Training: initial and periodic? All shifts?
 Maintenance: length of battery charge?
Battery life span? Vendor maintenance?
 Vendor’s Responsibilities?
Section 2: Equipment Needs Assessments
PURCHASING EQUIPMENT:
VENDOR QUESTIONS
 Equipment Functionality?
 Infection Control?
 Bariatric Equipment?
 Slings?
 Ceiling Lifts?
 Equipment Product Support?
Section 2: Equipment Needs Assessments
PREVENTIVE EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE
Your SPH/SRH Ergo Team should ensure
procedures are developed to:
 Log and tag equipment when it enters the building
 Use the log and tags to monitor the equipment
 Develop a process to get the repaired equipment
on the floor quickly
 48 hours is a good turnaround time
 Maintain a log book of when the equipment was
broken and returned
Section 3
Facility Environmental Needs Assessment

Building Layout

Storage

Park and Charge Areas

Ceiling Lift Installation

Floors and Doors

patient/resident/Resident Rooms

Bathrooms

Tub and Shower Rooms
Section 3: Facility Environmental Needs Assessment
Slide
Ceilings
Tub Rooms
Long Hall
ways
FACILITY
ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESSMENT
Carpets/
Equipment
Storage Areas
Park & Charge
Areas
Thresholds/
Narrow Doorways
Room
Layouts
Electrical
Outlets
Section 3: Facility Environmental Needs Assessment
BUILDING LAYOUT
Section 3: Facility Environmental Needs Assessment
BAD STORAGE AREAS
How likely is it that this
equipment will be used?
Section 3: Facility Environmental Needs Assessment
PARK AND CHARGE AREAS
 Designated area when not in use
 Sufficient electrical outlets to recharge
 Involve direct care staff in selecting site
 Alcoves in hallways possible sites
 May need more than one area
Section 3: Facility Environmental Needs Assessment
FIXED CEILING LIFT INSTALLATION
Important Considerations:
 Structural Load Limits
 Lighting Fixtures
 Protruding Sprinkler
Heads
 Air Conditioning Vents
 Asbestos
 Ceiling Height
Section 3: Facility Environmental Needs Assessment
FLOORS AND DOORWAYS
Your equipment needs to be compatible w/:
 Doorway width
 Doorway handles (catch on beds/gurneys?)
 Thresholds/other obstructions in bathroom,
shower and patient/resident rooms
 Floor surfaces (carpeted? Uneven? Slippery?)
 Steep floor ramps (over 10% pitch?)
Section 3: Facility Environmental Needs Assessment
Patient/Resident ROOM LAYOUT
 Private? Semi-private?
 Bathroom in room?
 Room dimensions (small or large)?
 Room clutter?
 Space under beds?
 Closet (for storage or personal items)?
 Bedside medical or electrical outlets?
Section 3: Facility Environmental Needs Assessment
BATHROOMS
Will your equipment fit?
Section 3: Facility Environmental Needs Assessment
TUB AND SHOWER ROOMS
Do any of your tub and shower rooms look like this?
How would you improve accessibility?
Section 3: Facility Environmental Needs Assessment
TUB AND SHOWER ROOMS
What’s the
likelihood
that direct
care staff will
be able to
easily access
the tub?
Section 3: Facility Environmental Needs Assessment
GROUP ACTIVITY #2
Page 14 of Student Workbook Guide
Facility Environmental
Assessment: Equipment &
Your Work Environment
Section 4: Hands-on Equipment
Demonstration Activity
Repositioning in Bed: Soft Goods
- Tri-turner
- Split Sheet
- Full body
- Limb Straps
Lateral Transfers
Evacuation Equipment
Getting someone off the floor
- Easy Glide Boards
- Limb Straps
- Sling