Slide Sheets

PROBLEM

Employees in the Health Care Industry can sustain injuries to their shoulders, necks and backs whilst moving patients with limited mobility whilst in bed.

SOLUTION

An effective way to reduce manual handling injuries associated with moving patients in bed is in the use of slide sheets.

The sheet is a rectangular piece of sheeting made out of very strong but thin polyester fabric. The sheet has a special coating which makes its surfaces very slippery and is designed to assist moving a person in bed with minimum trauma.

The sheet can be folded in half and semi positioned whilst the patient is lying on their side. It may be positioned under a draw sheet. The patient can then either be moved up the bed by carers on either side grasping the sheet and sliding sheet and patient up the bed; or the patient can be turned by pulling the loose end of the top part of the sheet.

Because of its special slippery surface the sheet slides easily in any direction on the bed.

Please note: Always use slide sheets in line with your occupational health and safety or manual handling guidelines. Never leave patients unattended on slide sheets and always use at least two qualified patient handlers to move patients.