All Entries in the "Life Safety Code" Category
Leadership standard cited in fire protection inspection snafu
Hi folks, it’s Scott Wallask logging in. You may not know this, but The Joint Commission’s life safety specialists can cite leadership standards for fire protection deficiencies under certain circumstances.
Take this situation that I just heard about: [more]
Getting clinicians to see the importance of unobstructed fire safety equipment
Having seen the latest statistics on life safety citations (our old friend EC.5.20 — now rolled into the 2009 life safety chapter — was the most cited standard in hospitals in the first half of 2008), it made me think of a discussion I had not all that long ago about fire protection devices and equipment on the floors.
There is a constant battle [more]
Life Safety Code sets some requirements for large recyling bins
Hi everyone, it’s Scott Wallask. I’m occasionally asked if the Life Safety Code (LSC) has any provisions for those big, blue recycling barrels in healthcare occupancies, and the answer is yes.
Soiled linen, trash, recycling, and shredded document receptacles, are regulated by the LSC under paragraphs 18/19.7.5.5. Those paragraphs state the following: [more]
Alcohol-based hand sanitizer abuse, courtesy of A&E
Hi everyone, it’s Scott Wallask posting today. I was catching up on recorded episodes of A&E’s series, Intervention, which my wife and I like, when we saw a scene that really hit home from a hospital safety perspective. [more]
Training for gun incidents, from the latest Briefings on Hospital Safety
Hi folks, it’s Scott Wallask logging on today. Given that most hospitals aren’t using metal detectors at the entrance, it’s not a surprise that some visitors enter the facility carrying guns.
In the p. 1 story of our March issue of Briefings on Hospital Safety [more]
Listen to our free hospital safety audio conference online, any time
Hi everyone, it’s Scott Wallask checking in today. I’m happy to announce that we’ve posted a free online recording of our January 29 audio conference, “Hospital Safety in 2009: A Sneak Preview of HCPro’s 3rd Annual Hospital Safety Center Symposium.”
You can listen [more]
Documentation question regarding The Joint Commission’s FAQs
As a quick follow up to my post last week about The Joint Commission’s updated FAQs, I wanted to discuss related documentation.
Remember those nifty little “D” icons in the EC, emergency management, and life safety standards that tell us what has to be documented? I don’t see ‘em on the FAQ page. [more]
New Joint Commission FAQs should prompt a critical review
I want to jump in with a couple of thoughts relative to the increased activity on the The Joint Commission’s Web site in the FAQ section — especially in the EC, emergency management, and life safety sections. There are nine new FAQs available for your viewing pleasure right now. Go check ‘em out (I’ll wait for you to come back).
Back? Good! I think you probably noticed that the topics are scattered across the spectrum. I’m not exactly sure what’s prompted this flurry (it is, after all, winter) of activity, but if you’ll allow me some extrapolation space, it may be that the FAQs have become a venue for moving physical environment compliance into the future. [more]
New life safety EP speaks to documentation concerns
As part of its new EPs that came out last week, The Joint Commission added a provision to life safety standard LS.01.01.01 that requires hospitals to maintain records of inspections and approvals by local and state fire authorities.
I can’t imagine any organization that undergoes some sort of inspection process by AHJs of any stripe would elect not to maintain evidence of that process, or indeed any equivalencies, etc., that might be granted. [more]
New Joint Commission FAQ about life safety deficiencies
I just happened to notice a new Joint Commission FAQ (posted January 6) giving folks 45 days to correct a Life Safety Code deficiency before bumping it up to PFI status. That’s good news for the folks in the field.
