| Course | APS-4000 Occupational Safety and Health |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 3 |
| Paper type | Research exercise: safety and health management concepts, with project part 2 |
| Length | About 427 words, 4 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | B.S. in Medical Imaging |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for APS 4000 Module 3
Lift Less, Not Lift Better: The Hierarchy of Controls and Patient Handling in a Hospital Imaging Department
Student Name
B.S. in Medical Imaging, Thomas Edison State University
APS-4000: Occupational Safety and Health
Mentor Name
Month Day, Year
Lift Less, Not Lift Better: The Hierarchy of Controls and Patient Handling in a Hospital Imaging Department
The Problem Chosen
Of the three problems defined in Module 1, patient handling is chosen because it caused five lost-time injuries last year, falls into a gap between existing safety programs and is governed by a state law the department has not applied. Radiation dose is already monitored by the radiation safety officer, and workplace violence is the subject of a hospital-wide program.
Analyzing the Tasks
A review of the five injury reports and observation of a week of work identified the riskiest tasks: lateral transfers of patients from stretchers to CT and x-ray tables, repositioning patients on tables for imaging and lifting legs or torsos to place image receptors for portable radiographs in patient rooms. Waters (2007) adapted NIOSH's lifting equation to patient care and set roughly 35 pounds of patient weight as the most one caregiver should lift by hand in ideal conditions, with less allowed when the patient cannot cooperate or the lift is awkward. Most of our transfers exceed that limit.
The Hierarchy of Controls
Asfahl and Rieske (2019) describe controlling hazards in an order of preference: eliminate the hazard, substitute something less hazardous, use engineering controls, apply administrative controls and, last, provide personal protective equipment. Training in "proper lifting" is an administrative control, low in the hierarchy.
Nelson et al. (2006) evaluated a combined program in Veterans Health Administration nursing units that combined patient lifting equipment, assessment protocols, peer leaders and a no-strenuous-lifting policy, and found reductions in injuries, lost workdays and costs. That evidence supports a program built on equipment and protocols rather than training alone.
| Level | Option for imaging |
|---|---|
| Elimination | Do not manually lift dependent patients; use equipment for every lateral transfer |
| Substitution | Image patients on their stretchers where the procedure allows |
| Engineering | Air-assisted lateral transfer mattresses; ceiling lifts in two CT rooms; height-adjustable tables |
| Administrative | Transfer teams of two or three; assessment of each patient's mobility before transfer |
| Protective equipment | Not effective for lifting injuries |
Preliminary Literature List
The literature review will draw on research on lifting limits for patient handling (Waters, 2007), evaluations of safe patient handling programs (Nelson et al., 2006), studies of musculoskeletal symptoms among radiologic technologists, the text's chapters on ergonomics and materials handling, and the New Jersey Safe Patient Handling Act.
Conclusion
Patient handling injuries in imaging come from manual transfers that exceed recommended limits. The hierarchy of controls points to equipment and protocols, not better lifting technique, and the literature to be reviewed supports that direction.
References
Asfahl, C. R., & Rieske, D. W. (2019). Industrial safety and health management (7th ed.). Pearson.
Nelson, A., Matz, M., Chen, F., Siddharthan, K., Lloyd, J., & Fragala, G. (2006). Development and evaluation of a multifaceted ergonomics program to prevent injuries associated with patient handling tasks. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 43(6), 717-733. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2005.09.004
Waters, T. R. (2007). When is it safe to manually lift a patient? American Journal of Nursing, 107(8), 53-58. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000282296.18688.b1
APS 4000 Module 3 instructions, in plain terms
APS-4000's third module covers safety and health management concepts and approaches, and this research exercise is one of seven, each tied to a module. Part 2 of the semester project, your choice of a safety and health problem to research and a preliminary literature list, is due with Module 3. Explain why you chose the problem, analyze the tasks or conditions behind it, apply a management approach such as the hierarchy of controls and list the sources you will use. Asfahl and Rieske's chapters on safety management are the base, and peer-reviewed studies make the literature list credible. Use injury reports or observation to identify the riskiest tasks. Choose sources you will really draw on later.
Inside the APS 4000 Module 3 example
The exercise explains why patient handling was chosen over the other two problems. It analyzes injury reports and a week of observation to identify the riskiest transfers, and Waters's patient lifting limit shows most exceed safe loads. Asfahl and Rieske's hierarchy of controls is applied in a five-row table, from eliminating manual lifts to the limits of protective equipment. A margin note explains why lifting training has not worked. Nelson and colleagues' program evaluation supports equipment and protocols. A preliminary literature list closes the exercise. Waters's lifting limit gives the task analysis a measurable standard. A preliminary literature list sets up the next part of the project.
Reading the APS 4000 Module 3 grading rubric
Mentors grade this exercise on accurate use of safety management concepts, a well-justified choice of problem, task analysis grounded in evidence, application of the hierarchy of controls and a credible literature list. Papers that explain why a problem was chosen and analyze the specific tasks involved show the method the course teaches. Recognizing that training ranks low in the hierarchy shows understanding. Peer-reviewed sources on the chosen problem prepare a strong literature review. Mentors also credit literature lists that include studies testing solutions, not only describing the problem. Placing training low in the hierarchy shows understanding of controls. A literature list that includes the relevant state law shows thoroughness.
APS 4000 Module 3 help from the desk
Students lose points by choosing a vague problem, by recommending training first or by listing sources that are not peer-reviewed or not about the problem. Choose the problem with the clearest evidence and gap, observe the tasks behind it, apply each level of the hierarchy and gather studies that test solutions. A free first draft of your APS-4000 Module 3 exercise can be built on the problem from your occupation. Include at least one study that evaluated a program like the one you expect to recommend. Start with the highest feasible control level and work down. Analyze tasks before choosing controls, so each control answers a specific risk.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Thomas Edison State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
More APS 4000 and B.S. in Medical Imaging sample papers
- APS 4000 Module 1: Research Exercise: The Safety and Health Manager's Role in a Hospital Imaging Department
- APS 4000 Module 2: Research Exercise: Which Rules Govern Safety in a New Jersey Hospital Imaging Department?
- APS 4000 Module 4: Research Exercise: Imaging's Part in a Hospital Mass Casualty Plan
- APS 4000 Module 5: Research Exercise: Controlling Scatter Radiation in a New Interventional Suite
- APS 4000 Module 6: Final Project Report: Ending Manual Patient Lifts in a Hospital Imaging Department
- APS 4000 Module 7: Project Presentation: Ergonomics and a Safe Patient Handling Program for Imaging
APS 4000 Module 3 questions, answered
Where can I find a free APS 4000 Module 3 sample paper?
The research exercise above applies the hierarchy of controls to patient handling injuries in a hospital imaging department.
What is the hierarchy of controls?
A ranking of ways to deal with a hazard, from removing it altogether down to handing out protective gear, with engineering fixes and work rules in between.
How much patient weight can be lifted safely?
About 35 pounds of the patient's weight in the best case, by Waters's estimate, and less whenever the lift is awkward.
Do safe patient handling programs work?
Nelson and colleagues found a program combining equipment, protocols and peer leaders reduced injuries, lost workdays and costs.
What is Part 2 of the APS-4000 project?
Your choice of a safety and health problem to research and a preliminary literature list, due with Module 3.