Posey KeepSafe® Essential - Manual (Page 19)

KeepSafe ® Essential 19

The KeepSafe Essential and Use of Physical Restraints
The use of physical restraints should be a last resort, and only after a full physical and mental assessment
by the facility healthcare team. If the patient’s Care Plan calls for the use of a restraint, staff should read
and follow all instructions and warnings for the device you choose.
• ALWAYS use Hospital Bed Safety Workgroup (HBSW*) compliant bed side rails. Use gap fillers to
reduce the risk that patient’s body or limbs may fit over, under, around, through or between rails
(fig. 23).
• Full compliant bed side rails must be UP when restraints are used on a patient.
To reduce the risk of entrapment, use side rail covers, especially with split side rails. a failure to do
so may result in serious injury or death if patient’s body goes under, around, through or between the
bed side rails.
Use extreme caution with chair cushions. If a cushion dislodges, straps may loosen and allow patient
to slide off seat and become suspended.
Fig. 23
*http://www.fda.gov search keyword “HBSW”