California Patient Handling Law Enacted Requiring Policies, Lift Teams at Hospitals

California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) Oct. 7 signed legislation requiring hospitals to establish safe patient-handling policies.

The Hospital Patient and Health Care Worker Injury Protection Act (AB 1136) was passed Sept. 8 by the State Assembly by a vote of 53–26. It requires hospitals to establish patient-handling policies and to maintain trained lift teams. The law also protects workers from retaliation if they refuse to lift, reposition, or transfer a patient without the help of the team.

In 2006, Washington became the first state to enact a law requiring hospitals to take measures to protect their workers against patient-handling injuries. ...