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2023 SESSION

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23102517D
HOUSE BILL NO. 2108 Offered January 11, 2023 Prefiled January 10, 2023 A BILL to require the Safety and Health Codes Board to adopt occupational safety and health standards regarding safe handling of patients. ----------
Patrons-- Bourne, Adams, D.M., Clark, Guzman, Jenkins, Kory, Maldonado, Rasoul, Simon and Willett
---------- Referred to Committee on Commerce and Energy ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. The Safety and Health Codes Board shall adopt occupational safety and health standards, as defined in § 40.1-49.3 of the Code of Virginia, that require an employer:

1. To adopt and implement a safe patient handling policy; and

2. To provide training to any employee whose responsibility includes lifting, repositioning, or transferring patients using patient transfer, repositioning, or lifting devices that includes training on (i) the appropriate use of lifting devices and equipment, (ii) the five areas of body exposure (vertical, lateral, bariatric, repositioning, and ambulation); and (iii) the use of lifting devices to handle patients safely.

As used in this act:

"Employer" means a hospital.

"Hospital" has the same meaning as provided in § 32.1-123 of the Code of Virginia.

"Lift team" means hospital employees specifically trained to handle lifting, repositioning, or transferring patients using patient transfer, repositioning, or lifting devices as appropriate for the specific patient. Lift team members may perform other duties as assigned during their shifts.

"Safe patient handling policy" means a policy that requires replacement of manual lifting and transferring of patients with powered patient transfer devices, lifting devices, and lift teams, as appropriate, for the specific patient and consistent with the employer's safety policies.