New EP quietly appears in LS.02.01.30

Note: Correction issued on February 26, 2010.

In the 2010 version of the life safety standards, The Joint Commission has slipped in a new element of performance (EP) under LS.02.01.30.

I say “slipped in” because [more]

Don’t “over engineer” your emergency operations plan

The degree of granularity you use in your emergency operations plan should be based on providing two things [more]

Be cautious about handcuff use, because CMS rules are clear

Handcuffs are a very dicey thing to undertake at this point in hospitals.

The position of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is really one of ensuring that any time handcuffs are used [more]

CT hospital used EMS manager to stay updated about energy plant explosion

I just got off the phone with Jim Hite, who is emergency planner and director of safety and security at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, CT An energy plant exploded in Middletown on Sunday afternoon, which forced the hospital to activate its emergency operations center.

The medical facility, which also rolled out the Hospital Incident Command System approach in response to the explosion, uses a nice arrangement to [more]

You may want to steer clear of The Joint Commission’s fire watch revisions

During Wednesday’s audio conference, “Physical Environment Compliance 2010: The Joint Commission’s Latest Interpretations and Survey Hotspots,” life safety consultant Brad Keyes, CHSP, of The Greeley Company raised an interesting point regarding fire watches.

The Joint Commission issued a new interpretation about fire watches last year, in which [more]

EC surveillance rounds keep you ahead of “C” scored provisions

Joint Commission surveyors generally don’t focus too much on the surveillance tour process under EC.04.01.01 unless they feel that the rounds are not doing what they need to.

My advice is to make sure that [more]

A 24-hour reporting period for medical device injuries is a good approach

I was asked by a hospital about its policy for reporting patient injury or death related to medical equipment use. The policy states that the reporting time frame for an incident is within 24 hours of the occurrence.

I looked at information posted [more]

EM.02.02.07 now includes wording for pet care during an emergency response

While combing through the 2010 version of The Joint Commission’s emergency management standards, I came across a slight addition that, while not earthshaking, does potentially raise the stakes when it comes to staff member support during a disaster response.

EM.02.02.07 requires hospitals to prepare for managing workers during an emergency. Element of performance (EP) 6 states that the emergency operations plans must manage the family support needs of staff. Examples of this support listed in the EP include child care, elder care, communication, and a new one: pet care.

Is it mandated [more]

Absent regulations, it’s up to hospitals to determine trash compactor safeguards

The safety of operating trash compactors and locking them when not in use is yet another opportunity for a risk assessment.

Strictly speaking, there are no specific regulatory or code requirements for trash compactors in healthcare organizations. But we have learned over the years that [more]

“Wet Floor” signs bring fire safety and tripping risks

I was discussing “Wet Floor” signs with a risk management coordinator, and I told her this is yet another sterling example of the risk assessment process.

“Wet Floor” signs are a tripping hazard, but that hazard has been mitigated to a degree by [more]