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General product information only. It is not medical advice. A clinician or manual handling professional decides which device suits a particular person; the manufacturer’s instructions for use govern each device.
Overview
Patient transfer equipment is not one product class. It is a set of devices that do different jobs: some lift a person, some let a person slide, some reduce friction in bed, and some only give a helper a secure hold. The practical question is which job a device does, because that decides what it is and is not.
OSHA’s safe patient handling page calls the lifting group “patient transfer and lifting devices” and says they “are key components of an effective program to control the risk of injury to patients and staff” (OSHA, checked 2026-11-02). In the United States, FDA also regulates the lifting group by name, and the class depends on whether the lift is AC-powered. This page sorts the device types and points to the detailed CASRAI guide for each.
Lifting devices are covered in what a patient lift is, with the slings that go with them in types of slings.
Types of patient transfer equipment
| Type | What it is | Main use | Regulatory note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient lift (AC-powered) | An electrically powered device, fixed or mobile, used to lift and transport a patient from one place to another, as from a bed to a bath. FDA’s definition includes straps and slings (21 CFR 880.5500). | Lifting and transporting a patient. | FDA Class II (special controls), exempt from premarket notification subject to 21 CFR 880.9. |
| Patient lift (non-AC-powered) | A hydraulic, battery or mechanically powered device, fixed or mobile, with the same bed-to-bath wording; the definition includes straps and a sling (21 CFR 880.5510). | The same lifting job, with a different power source. | FDA Class I (general controls), exempt from premarket notification subject to the limitations in 21 CFR 880.9. |
| Transfer board (slide board) | A flat board that bridges the gap between two seating surfaces such as a bed and a wheelchair. See how to use a transfer board. | A seated slide between two surfaces. | It does not lift a person the way a hoist and sling does. |
| Banana board (curved board) | A curved transfer board, also sold as a curved glideboard. | The same seated-slide job as a flat board. | Not a lift. |
| Slide sheet (transfer sheet) | A low-friction sheet used with a person lying in bed. See patient transfer sheet. | Moving within the bed. | It does not lift anyone. |
| Gait belt (transfer belt) | A strap worn around the waist so a helper has a place to hold. See what a gait belt is. | A handhold during standing and walking. | A handhold, not a lifting device. |
| Transfer bench | A bathing aid that straddles the side of a bathtub. See what a transfer bench is. | Bathtub entry and exit. | Tub-specific; the maker sets a maximum weight capacity on most models. |
Which device group covers which job
| The job | Device group |
|---|---|
| Raising and carrying between surfaces | Patient lift with a sling |
| Seated slide across a gap | Transfer board or banana board |
| Movement within a bed | Slide sheet |
| A secure hold for a helper | Gait belt |
| Bathtub transfer | Transfer bench |
How to choose: the job and the setting
Start with the movement, not the product name. A lift, a board and a sheet are not substitutes for one another. The tables above pair each job with the device group built for it.
In a hospital, clinic or care facility, OSHA says a safe patient handling program includes “worker participation in the assessment and implementation processes and the evaluation and selection of patient handling devices”, and that staff training should cover the “selection and use of the appropriate patient lifting equipment and devices” (OSHA, checked 2026-11-02). Selection is therefore a facility process that involves the people who use the equipment, not a one-off purchase decision.
For an individual person, the choice belongs to a clinician or manual handling professional working from the manufacturer’s instructions for use.
What to check on the label and in the documents
- Which regulation and class the maker lists. For lifts, the definitions are in 21 CFR 880.5500 and 880.5510.
- The rated capacity. Lift makers publish a safe working load in the manual. The CASRAI guide to the Hoyer lift weight limit shows how one maker states it.
- The sling. Because FDA’s lift definitions include the straps and slings, the lift’s instructions for use name the slings made for it. Sling sizing is maker-specific.
- The manufacturer’s instructions for use. They govern setup and handling for the specific device.
Care and replacement
Care, cleaning and replacement information comes from the maker’s instructions for use, so keep them with the device.
FAQ
What is the difference between a patient lift and a transfer board?
A patient lift raises and carries a person with a sling; a transfer board only bridges a gap between two seating surfaces. A board does not lift a person the way a hoist and sling does.
What is the difference between a powered and a non-powered patient lift?
Under FDA’s rules an AC-powered patient lift (21 CFR 880.5500) is Class II with special controls, and a non-AC-powered lift, meaning hydraulic, battery or mechanically powered (21 CFR 880.5510), is Class I with general controls. Both are exempt from premarket notification subject to 21 CFR 880.9 (checked 2026-11-02).
Who selects patient handling devices in a healthcare facility?
OSHA describes selection as part of a safe patient handling program, with worker participation in the evaluation and selection of devices and training on selecting the appropriate equipment (checked 2026-11-02).
Sources
- OSHA, Safe Patient Handling, https://www.osha.gov/healthcare/safe-patient-handling (checked 2026-11-02).
- 21 CFR 880.5500, AC-powered patient lift, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/880.5500 (checked 2026-11-02).
- 21 CFR 880.5510, Non-AC-powered patient lift, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/880.5510 (checked 2026-11-02).
