1. Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention Program
SRH Workshop Module 3

2. Principles of Safe Lifting
Speaker’s notes:
P. 33 in the participant’s manual
Copy of the small, laminated card referred to as the Resident Handling Reminder Card that should be provided to each participants; the card lists the principles of safe lifting and can be attached to the different types of clips used for ID, etc. for continued reference by participants while on the job.

3. Module 3: Objectives At the end of this module you should be able to:
List the eight principles of safe lifting.
Describe how the eight principles of safe lifting apply to resident handling.
Adapt the principles of safe lifting to resident handling situations.
Recognize when a resident handling task may need to be adjusted based on the principles of safe lifting.

4. Principles of Safe Lifting
Plan Your Move
Assess the resident
Assess the work area
Assess the need for help or assistance
Check the equipment
Speaker’s notes:
P. 34 in the participant’s manual
Resident handling key teaching points:
Planning ahead before you interact with residents.
This includes:
reviewing the status of residents when you start your shift to determine if their physical or cognitive status has changed since your last shift,
assessing what equipment and assistance you will require to perform the resident transfers during your shift,
ensuring the equipment is available and close at hand; and,
recognize any challenges that the layout of the resident’s room, associated furniture and equipment could pose to compromise your safety.

5. Principles of Safe Lifting
Strong Foundation
Get yourself into the “Power Position”
Use the strong muscles in your legs & butt
Ensure:
your feet are shoulder width apart
your butt is in the squat position
Speaker’s notes:
P. 35 in the participant’s manual
Key point: Creating a strong foundation using your feet, legs and butt.

6. Principles of Safe Lifting
Centre of Gravity
Achieve postures that keep you in balance over your center of gravity
Key to maintaining balance:
Keep head up
Ensure the load is close to center of gravity
Speaker’s notes:
P. 35 in the participant’s manual
Key point: Stay balanced over your center of gravity before and during every resident handling task.

7. Principles of Safe Lifting
Big Jobs call for Big Muscles
Create a strong foundation and stay in balance
Maintain the “Power Position”
Avoid using the smaller muscles in the neck, upper back, shoulders and arms
If possible, manage the load at waist height
Speaker’s notes:
P. 36 in the participant’s manual
Key point: Focus on using the big muscles in our legs and butt before and during every resident handling task;
Remember! Big Jobs = Big Muscles

8. Principles of Safe Lifting
Get a Grip!
Use the “power grip”
Keep palms up and wrists as straight as possible
Speaker’s notes:
P. 36 in the participant’s manual
Key point:
Using a powerful grip with your palms up and your wrists as straight as possible.
For safe resident handling, using a power grip reduces the risk of injury to both the caregiver and the resident.

9. Principles of Safe Lifting
Reduce Friction
Use a slider sheet
Have the resident help (if appropriate)
Speaker’s notes:
P. 37 in the participant’s manual
Key points:
Friction requires our muscles to use more force to overcome....which can place those muscles at risk of getting hurt.
We can use devices such as transfer sheets to reduce this friction which is often created by resident’s clothing and the sheets on their beds.
Getting the resident to help, if appropriate, is beneficial in that:
It’s good exercise for the resident;
It’s good for the resident to feel as independent as possible;
Muscle memory-if resident’s don’t use their muscles as much as possible, they’ll continue to lose muscle memory
How can the resident help?
Push off of the surface they are being transferred from with their arms (on the bed, on their thighs, on the arms of a chair/wheelchair)
Use their leg/legs to help push themselves up in bed or to roll over in bed
Slider sheets are just one example of tools that can be used to reduce friction during resident handling activities, what are some other tools?
Slide/transfer boards:
used to bridge the gap between two surfaces such as between: bed & wheelchair; wheelchair & toilet, chair & wheelchair
Turning discs
used for standing pivots with residents who are stable & able to balance or pivoting seated residents – typically for transfers between wheelchair & bed/chair
One way slider cushions
for use when repositioning a resident in a wheelchair

10. Principles of Safe Lifting
Communicate!
Communicate with your co-worker
Communicate with the resident
Report errors, near misses and mistakes
Report equipment malfunction
Update the Resident Assessment form
Speaker’s notes:
P. 37 in the participant’s manual
Key points:
Talk to the resident and your co-workers before, during and after every resident handling task
Plan your move:
talk to your co-worker about the move,
what count you will use,
who will count,
what movement the count will be performed on (each weight shift or when weight is on the right or left leg only),
when the count will start,
which direction are you moving the resident, etc.

11. Principles of Safe Lifting
Stick to the Script
1. Plan Your Move
2. Strong Foundation
3. Centre of Gravity
4. Big Jobs = Big Muscles
5. Get a Grip!
6. Reduce Friction
7. Communicate
8. Stick to the Script!
Speaker’s notes:
P. 38 in the participant’s manual
Key point:
Review the cycle graphic to recap the ‘script’
Make an effort to follow these rules before undertaking every resident handling task no matter how small the job and your workplace will become a safer place.