Sling replacement procedure

[Aleebell@hotmail.com]

Hi
Health and Safety are looking at starting to purchase slings for the hospital as at the moments its a mess. And we are hoping this will fix a lot of problems and gaps we have found. Does anyone have a written procedure for this?

Thanks
Angela

[Wayne]

Hi Angela, there are a lot of “grey areas” at the moment regarding the ISO Standard to Sling requirements.
Unfortunately ISO 10535 is from 2011 and it requires updating.
It states in there that Sling Periodic Inspections must be carried out at least 6 monthly by a person who is suitable and qualified to do so. The 6 month inspection is on top of the inspection that should be performed every time before use.
The guidelines around label requirements can be found in “The New Zealand Patient Handling Guidelines” on page 75, although this standard has been withdrawn it offers what “should be” on a Sling Label.
I would suggest a trial from the manufacturers of which there are many to determine general consensus of what people like best with the aim of standardisation throughout your workplace. Cost, design, robustness of label wear as they should be removed from circulation if not able to be read clearly-SWL, Size, Manufacturer, Model Number, Washing Instructions to name a few.
Let me know how you get on. Regards Wayne

[Angela Greetham]

Hi Angela,
The BOPDHB replace patient slings when they are no longer fit for purpose, we check the slings yearly but are changing this to 6 monthly to adhere to the guidelines. We have a large mixture of patient slings,
Thanks,
Angela

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