The Joint Commission is encouraging American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) members who missed the opportunity to comment on proposed changes to the Environment of Care Standards to offer their remarks.
The Joint Commission proposed changes to the standards, and ASHE has submitted comments to the Joint Commission on these proposed changes. But ASHE received word that several hospitals were in emergency-management mode during the comment period due to wild fires and did not have the opportunity to comment.
As part of Joint Commission’s Standards Improvement Initiative, it is revising each standard and element of performance, as well as the rationale for standards.
Some of the revisions include: plans to minimize risks in the environment of care; managing safety and security risks; managing risk related to hazardous materials and waste; managing fire risks; maintaining fire safety equipment and fire safety building features; managing medical-equipment risks; managing risk associated with utility systems; and testing, maintaining, and inspecting emergency power systems.
To review all revised standards and subsequent text, visit the ASHE web site.
