One easy way to cut down costs in the healthcare industry is to reduce the number of preventable injuries. This was the take-away message at a technical session at the National Safety Council's 2006 Congress & Expo held this week in San Diego, California. The session's speaker was Patricia Gibson, president of PMG Communications, a healthcare consulting company. Gibson defined 10 steps to reduce injuries at healthcare facilities.

1. Create a baseline analysis. Get a clear view of where you currently stand at your healthcare facility. Review injury logs and, with regards to injuries, define what, why, when, the factors involved, and the severity (of injuries) to discover your starting point.
2. Enlist management support. Share results of the baseline analysis with management and offer solutions.
   Tip: Do not make the mistake of presenting this information without suggested solutions. This will increase your chances of getting management buy-in.
3. Analyze and prioritize. Use job hazard analyses and review accident records to discover areas for improvement.
4. Enlist employee support. Make it attractive to employees to participate. Ask your staff where they think problems occur and ask them for suggested solutions. This will create a sense of responsibility and ownership.
5. Identify tools and resources. What does your facility already have to resolve safety issues? Where is it? Does your staff know how to use it? This is crucial in the healthcare industry because the safety hazards and training are very specific to the industry.
6. Develop a written plan. Keep in mind, the written plan must be hospital-wide, yet unit-specific and patient-specific.
7. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Try to create a safety culture that goes beyond telling your staff what to do. Show your workers what's in it for them to practice safety in their jobs.
8. Implement your plan. Make sure to test your plan system-wide before investing in it. For example, if your plan includes buying new hospital beds that will be more ergonomically correct, buy one. Ask the hospital staff who perform daily activities with the beds to use it. Get their feedback before investing in fifty beds for your hospital.
9. Continually assess and update the plan. Conduct surveys to make sure the plan is working. If it is not working, change it.
10. Celebrate success. Offer special rewards or another type of positive reinforcement for good safety results. Everyone likes to hear it when they perform well.