Other Environmental & Safety Risks Scored This Year
Another heavy hitter this year is a potpourri of environmental safety risks that are inadequately managed. These include blanket warmer temperatures, food refrigerator temperatures, breast milk refrigerator temperatures, paraffin temperatures, and hydroculator temperatures (and that you have changed out the hydroculator water every 14 days.)
In our blog posting yesterday (4/13/17) and in our PattonHC March 2017newsletter we highlighted the Joint Commission Online article March 1, 2017 that talked about an increased focus on ligature risks in the behavioral health environment. We have an update for you today that will also appear in our upcoming April PattonHC newsletter.
The Joint Commission announced in its publication Online dated March 1 that surveyors would be placing additional emphasis on assessment of ligature risks in behavioral health areas. Specifically, TJC stated that they would evaluate 3 aspects of this:
The article in the March 2017 Patton newsletter titled, “More Sophistication Mandated in High-level Disinfection & Sterilization” regarding the need to use a rigid container with a bio-hazard label to transport from the bedside to soiled utility room has thrown us here at our hospital into a frenzy. Aside from needing to purchase rigid containers for bedside use, the questions then arise where are they stored, who cleans them between use, and other operational questions. From your travels can you tell me how other facilities are managing this issue?
More Sophistication Mandated in High-level Disinfection & Sterilization
Last year one of the most frequently scored standards was IC.02.02.01, EP 2 dealing with defects in the high-level disinfection or sterilization processes. That is continuing this year, but the sophistication and array of different issues scored against this EP is much more diverse.