Title: Success Story #5*
Type: Text Slide
Content:

• State - Wheeling, West Virginia
• Company - Good Shepherd Nursing Home
• Employees - 240 full time and part time employees
• The Problem - Lifting of residents caused many staff back injuries
• The Solution - A safety committee analyzed injuries/ incidents and bought mechanical lifting devices resulting in a decrease in injury and illness rates
  

The source document for this success story can be found on OSHA's Small Business Success Stories public page.

In 1997, after noticing a distressing increase in worker injury and illness rate, Good Shepherd asked for help from the West Virginia OSHA On-Site Consultation Program.

Good Shepherd Nursing Home LC created a safety committee to analyze the injury/incident reports and zeroed in on the problem area. Heavy lifting was causing many of the facilities injuries; staff members were injuring their lower backs from lifting patients that were not able to assist in rising from the bed.

• As a result of these efforts, Good Shepherd:
• Reviewed their injury and illness trends;
• Identified hazards;
• Reconsidered their policies and procedures; and
• Purchased mechanical lifting devices to protect workers from injuries.