Hazmat inventory provisions under EC.02.02.01
Environment of care standard EC.02.02.01 talks of maintaining an inventory of hazardous materials and waste.
I’ve been wondering when folks such as you would get around to looking over the revised hazmat standard under EC.02.02.01. After the establishment of the new life safety and emergency management standards for 2009, The Joint Commission did the most tinkering with the hazmat provisions.
That said, the inventory requirement goes back almost all the way to the plant technology and safety management days in Joint Commission history, because the inventory requirement is not so much The Joint Commission’s as it is a function of the normal regulatory landscape, with the EPA and OSHA looking the largest on the horizon.
Additionally, state departments of environmental protection, not to mention local fire departments (particularly as firefighters might just have to respond to a hazmat event in your facility), are interested in what nasty things might be lurking around your premises.
There are a number of reporting requirements to monitor, including SARA Tier I & Tier II reporting, though if you haven’t been doing this, you’re a little bit late (filing period is between January 1 and March 1).
About the Author: Steve MacArthur is a consultant for The Greeley Company, a division of HCPro. He brings 30 years of healthcare management and consulting experience to his work with hospitals, physician offices, and ambulatory care facilities across the country. He is the author of HCPro's Hospital Safety Director's Handbook and is contributing editor for Briefings on Hospital Safety. Contact Steve at 
Lisa Hardesty | May 14, 2009 | Reply
I recently talked with someone from The Joint Commission’s Standard Interpretation Group and asked him to define business occupancy in healthcare. He defined it as a facility where no one stays overnight or where three or fewer individuals are rendered incapable of self-preservation at any given time by virtue of their treatment. I specifically asked about a sleep lab and was told that a sleep lab will render a building healthcare occupancy. Today, most sleep labs are located in facilities meeting business occupancy code. How many of you have sleep labs that meet health occupancy code? Mac, is this something new???
Carlos Gonzalez | Oct 20, 2009 | Reply
EC.02.02.01 EP 1 how do I know what is addressed by law and regulations. I figure xylene, gasoline, and oil are a few that we need to address what other chemical do I need to look at. Thank you