Most Manitoba health care workers do their jobs in one of three workplace environments: acute, long-term or community care. Though each workplace is different from the others, they all share the common need for safety – and not just that of patients and clients but also that of the caregivers themselves. 

SAFE Health Care is an injury prevention strategy developed for health care workers, by health care workers and with health care workers’ unique safety needs in mind. 

It is rooted in four key principles: 

Commitment – Making real change requires real commitment from every member of the health care team. 

Accountability – Knowing what is expected of each member of the health care team in terms of safety helps keep everyone safe. 

Responsibility – Workplace safety is everyone’s responsibility … which is why everyone needs to work together to make the workplace a safer one. There are a number of ways to help make the workplace safer for everyone. 

SAFE Plan of Action – Health care workers work with a wide variety of potential hazards. Actively following the SAFE plan will prevent problems from occurring. 

The four key principles work hand in hand within SAFE Health Care and aim to help health care workers protect themselves from ergonomic, physical, chemical, biological and psychosocial hazards by making engineering, administrative and personal changes for safety. 

SAFE Health Care is a joint initiative of the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and Manitoba Health.  

The program aims to foster a strong workplace safety and health culture by helping employees identify and eliminate hazards and encouraging them to take an active role in their workplace health and safety processes, procedure and committees.

Download any of the SAFE Health Care resources to learn more about making the health care-related workplace safer.

Videos

  • One-person Transfer This video will help remind you of things to keep in mind when doing a one person minimal assist sit-to-stand transfer.
  • Two-person Transfer There are different ways to transfer patients safely. This video will help remind you of things to keep in mind when doing a two person minimal assist sit-to-stand transfer.
  • Building a Better Workstation Do you spend most of your day at a desk? Then check out “Building a Better Workstation” to learn simple steps you can take to improve your workspace… and lessen your risk for injuries.

Downloads

  • SAFE Health Care Brochure SAFE Health Care aims to help healthcare workers stay safe from injuries and illnesses in the workplace. This brochure explains the program and how it might apply to you!
  • SAFE Healthcare: An introduction to injury prevention

    Here’s a startling fact: time-loss injuries in health care are rising. Like in many other industries, many of these are musculoskeletal injuries or sprains, strains and tears. Learn how to protect yourself.

  • Sample SAFE Work Procedures These Safe Work Procedures are samples for the healthcare sector, particularly for patient moving and handling activities.  Information in these sample procedures comes from various sites and professionals within Manitoba, as well as the WRHA Safe Patient Handling and Movement program.They are designed to help you formulate the most appropriate SAFE Work procedures for your workplace.
  • Sample Monitoring Tools Tasks involving moving and transferring patients can increase the risk to workers for musculoskeletal injuries. Safe work procedures can help reduce the risks for injury. These procedures must be monitored to ensure that workers are following them and to ensure that they are effective. Download your sample monitoring tools here.

SAFE Health Care — Prevention Materials

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