January 21, 2002—Beverly Enterprises, one of the nation’s largest nursing home operators, will adopt specific measures to reduce back injuries for employees involved in lifting nursing home residents, as part of a settlement agreement announced on January 15, 2002, by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The company has also agreed to establish a training program and to purchase mechanical lift equipment. The settlement applies to all 240 Beverly Enterprises facilities within federal OSHA jurisdiction.
The agreement settles citations issued by OSHA to five Pennsylvania nursing homes following a 15-month investigation that began in May 1991 in response to complaints that workers were suffering back injuries related to lifting and transferring residents. The agency found that the company’s injury and illness records revealed numerous musculoskeletal injuries sustained by nursing assistants that resulted in extensive lost work time and restricted work duty.
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), District Local 1199P and Local 668, which represent workers at the Pennsylvania facilities, also signed the settlement agreement. Under terms of the settlement agreement, Beverly agreed to withdraw its contest of the citations and OSHA agreed to withdraw the proposed penalties.
The cited facilities involved in this agreement are Carpenter Care Center in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania; Blue Ridge Haven Convalescent Center (d/b/a West Shore Health and Rehabilitation Center) in Camp Hill; Beverly Manor of Monroeville in Monroeville; Meyersdale Manor in Meyersdale, and Richland Manor in Johnstown.
