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Upon inspection, the baxter technician found the slingbar safety latch was missing.The function of the latches on the universal slingbar is to prevent the sling harnesses from migrating out of the sling bar hook when the harness is slacked, for example, when no patient is being lifted in the sling.These latches make it easier for the caregiver to attach the sling loops to the sling bar hooks, preventing the sling loops from moving out of the hooks during preparation and before the patient is lifted.When used as intended, the latches are not subjected to forces and will not disconnect from the sling bar.When the sling loop is not properly resting in the hook, or is partially attached around the latch, the latches for the may detach early in the lifting process when subjected to minimal force.This design prevents a patient from being lifted to a height which could be potentially hazardous while the sling harness is improperly attached.In the instruction for use for universal sling bars (7en160185), the safety instruction section states: - before lifting, always make sure that the sling¿s strap loops are correctly fastened to the sling bar hooks when the sling strap is extended, but before the patient is lifted from the underlying surface.- for safety, load must be applied to all sling bar hooks on the sling bar during the lift! -incorrect attachment of sling to sling bar may cause severe injury to the patient.The baxter technician replaced the latch to resolve.Although there was no injury reported and the event was determined to be caused by use error, if the incident were to recur during a patient transfer, it could led to serious injury or death.
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