Attorneys General Oppose Changes to Patient-Handling Requirements

A proposed U.S. Department of Labor rule change that would allow young workers to operate power-driven patient lifts without training or supervision is facing opposition from a coalition of attorneys general from 10 states and the District of Columbia. The rules now prohibit 16- and 17-year-olds from operating power-driven patient lifts unless they receive assistance from a trained adult worker and complete a 75-hour nurse’s aide training course. The machines are used in nursing homes, residential facilities and hospitals to lift and move patients who can&rsquo...