Guidelines from around Australia

Queensland

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland

Hazardous manual tasks resource page (WHSQ and WorkCover QLD)
What other laws apply
- WHS Regulation (2011):
       - Part 4.2 - Hazardous manual tasks
       - Part 3.1 Managing risks to health and safety 
Codes of Practice
- Manual tasks involving the handling of people (2001)
- Hazardous manual tasks (2011)

Queensland Health

​Think Smart Patient Handling Better Practice Guidelines (2nd Edition; 2010).  Queensland Health, Queensland Government.

Education Queensland

​Manual tasks and Ergonomics
 - Student moving and handling tasks resources
 - assisting student with physical impairments
 - Hoist and sling compatibility guidelines; selection and purchase checklist

National

AAMHP - Australian Association for the Manual Handling of People

Safe Work Australia

Model Code of Practice: Hazardous manual tasks (2016)
Manual handling risks associated with the care, treatment and transportation of bariatric (severely obese) patients in Australia (2009)

Victoria

Victoria Health

​Victoria Health - Preventing back injuries in nursing
Victorian nurses back injury prevention project (1998 to 2004)

​Australian Nursing and Midwifery federation (Victoria Branch)

ANMF (Vic Branch) Policy - Safe patient handling (formally known as No Lift Policy) (last reviewed 2013)

WorkSafe Victoria

Hazardous manual handling compliance code (HMHCC) (2018)
Transferring people safety (3rd edition: 2009)
A guide to designing workplaces for safer handling of people (2007)

South Australia

Department of Human Services


The department has published a range of Safe Work Instructions for disability services.
The SWI can be a little difficult to find so here are the direct links to the webpages.
  • On bed activities
  • Off Bed Activities
  • ​Hygiene
  • ​Wheelchair and car transfers

Guidelines from around the globe ...

International

ISO TR 12296 Ergonomics: Manual handling of people in the healthcare sector

Developed in 2012, the Standard provides guidance for assessing the problems and risks associated with manual patient handling in the healthcare sector, and for identifying and applying ergonomic strategies and solutions to those problems and risks.

The full ISO Standard is available for purchase from ISO website.  
​ArjoHuntleigh have produced an easy to read summary available for download ​

New Zealand

New Zealand ACC

Moving and Handling People: The New Zealand Guidelines
Client care - Moving and handling your patients (YouTube)
Supporting people to move at home (PDF)

UK

National Back Exchange

Scottish manual handling passport scheme

The Scottish Manual Handling Passport Scheme (2014)The passport provides foundation manual handling curriculum, assessment and organisational management arrangements for moving and handling people.

All Wales NHS manual handling training passport

All Wales NHS Manual Handling Training Passport and Information Scheme -
Version 1 - 2003
Version 2 - 2008 updated
Version 3 - 2020 revised
First published in 2003, the All Wales MHS passport is based on a partnership between the All-Wales Trust Manual Handling Adviser group and the Health and Safety Executive.

​The aim of the passport is to lead to a more effective use of resources, consistency in manual handling provision and improvements in the health and wellbeing of staff.

Cardipulmonary resuscitation guidelines

Guidance for safer handling during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in healthcare settings (updated 2020).  Resuscitation Council (UK) ​​

USA

US Dept of Veterans Affairs

Safe patient handling and Mobility resources
Great idea for healthcare workers!! Safe patient handling app

Association of Safe Patient Handling Professionals

​Great list of guidelines and tip sheets..
- AASPHM Sling and hanger bar attachment compatibility 

Americans with Disability Act (ADA)

​Access to Medical Care for Individuals with Mobility Disabilities (2010)
The ADA require that medical care providers provide individuals with disabilities.  
​The guidelines sets requirements for new construction of and alterations to building and facilities

CDC / NIOSH: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Resource page
links to wide range of resources including 

OSHA Occupational safety and health administration

Healthcare > Safe Patient handling 
​Worker safety in hospitals > safe Patient handling
  • Case for safe patient handling
  • Self assessment
  • Program checklist

Oregon Coalition for Healthcare Ergonomics

Wide range of guidelines and resources, including;
  • Equipment purchasing checklist (4th revision 2018)
  • Program gap analysis tool (2018)

Canada

Provincial Health Services Authority, BC Canada ​

Provincial Safe Resident Handling Standards for the Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention in British Columbia
​Great range of resources for policy development, audit and gap analysis and point of care decision makingSafe Patient Handling video learning series
Link to a series of instructional video learning courses 
​Visit the home page for more information and resources

WorkSafe BC

SafeCare BC

Safe handling toolkit in 5 steps

Europe

ErgoCareBank

The ergonomic databank for social and health care
  • ​Free access to range of resources including
  • videos of handling solutions
  • links to equipment providers
  • guidelines and risk assessment tools 
  • Conference presentations (youtube) from the 2015 Best Ergonomic Practices in Age Care

Vardhandboken (Swedish)

National Care Manual
The Care Manual includes a wide range of healthcare specific topics, including: pressure area care, falls prevention and staff security.
For techniques and guidance on patient handing - Work Technique and Movement Knowledge
NB: translation required - Google translate works well!
Movement awareness and communication in patient transfer - an educational intervention (2009). Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm