Resource category

Environment of Care

Physical environment risks, utilities, emergency management, fire safety, leadership, and hazardous materials.

86 articles

Healthcare Environment of Care Survey Readiness: Hospital Checklist

Published 2026-08-11

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Documenting Quarterly Fire Drill Requirements in Healthcare: Shifts, Roles, and Logs

Published 2026-08-04

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Emergency Power System Testing Logs: Coordinating Generator Audits with LS Surveys

Published 2026-08-04

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Environment of Care Committee Reporting: Presenting Life Safety Metrics to Leadership

Published 2026-08-04

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Healthcare Environment of Care Assessments: A Source-Linked Review Framework

Published 2026-08-04

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How to Conduct a Life Safety Physical Plant Risk Assessment (EC.02.06.01)

Published 2026-08-04

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Integrating Life Safety (LS) with Environment of Care (EC) Standards in Hospitals

Published 2026-08-04

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Ligature Risk vs. Life Safety Rules in Behavioral Health Units: Striking the Balance

Published 2026-08-04

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Managing Hazardous Materials Storage in Healthcare Facilities Under EC Guidelines

Published 2026-08-04

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Medical Gas Storage & Manifold Rooms: Life Safety & Environment of Care Audits

Published 2026-08-04

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Utilities Management Integration: Connecting LS Systems to Facility Infrastructure

Published 2026-08-04

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Do emergency departments in Joint Commissionâ€“accredited ambulatory care organizations need to comply with the "Recommendations for Emergency Departments" in the November 2017 Perspectives article ?View answer for "Do emergency departments in Joint Commissionâ€“accredited ambulatory care organizations need to comply with the "Recommendations for Emergency Departments" in the November 2017 Perspectives article ?"

Published 2024-08-19

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Emergency Electrical Systems for Ambulatory Surgical Centers: What Is Required?

Published 2024-08-17

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What is the requirement for design criteria on clinical sinks in medical and surgical units?

Published 2024-08-11

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What is the requirement or standard that addresses thermometers or temperature logs for refrigerators or freezers used for food storage?

Published 2024-08-10

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Do we need to monitor the temperature and humidity of the rooms where sterile supplies are stored?

Published 2024-08-07

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What are the Joint Commission requirements regarding storage of needles and syringes?

Published 2024-08-06

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What are the monitoring requirements for temperature and humidity?

Published 2024-07-28

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Does The Joint Commission provide an official definition of a patient 'fall' or does each organization need to define it?

Published 2024-07-22

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How should oxygen cylinders be stored in the patient's residence?

Published 2024-07-19

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What is the requirement for mapping utility systems and identifying controls for utility system shutdown?

Published 2024-07-18

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Are Infant/Child Abduction drills required?

Published 2024-07-17

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What standards apply to the requirement for organizations to maintain blanket temperatures?

Published 2024-07-12

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What are the fire safety system testing requirements in business and leased facilities?

Published 2024-07-08

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Are food, drink, and personal items for staff members allowed in patient care and staff work areas, such as nurse stations, registration areas, etc?

Published 2024-07-05

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Are we required to maintain temperature logs for medication storage refrigerators and freezers?

Published 2024-07-04

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What is the definition of "regulated waste?"View answer for "What is the definition of "regulated waste?""

Published 2024-06-30

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When are annual emergency generator load tests required?

Published 2024-06-27

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What is the requirement for initiating and completing the monthly emergency generator load test?

Published 2024-06-17

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Is an organization's governing board required to approve Environment of Care management plans?

Published 2024-06-16

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What is the required format for fire safety system inspection reports?

Published 2024-06-15

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Are defibrillators and crash carts required to be plugged into emergency power receptacles?

Published 2024-06-14

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Are soiled utility rooms required to be locked?

Published 2024-06-09

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What is the distinction between emergency generators, stored emergency power supply systems (SEPSS), and UPS, and when is one used versus the other?

Published 2024-06-08

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What is The Joint Commission standard for specific design quality, criteria for both clinical and non-clinical use of refrigerators?

Published 2024-05-27

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What are the requirements for oxygen cylinder storage and the segregation of full, empty, and partial tanks?

Published 2024-05-23

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Please clarify The Joint Commission's position on the use wooden pallets for storage.

Published 2024-05-22

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Can temperatures be outside of established range in operating rooms?

Published 2024-05-21

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What equipment is required to be included in a medical equipment inventory and how is high-risk equipment and maintenance strategies determined?

Published 2024-05-20

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If our Primary Engineering Control or Secondary Engineering Control certification/testing reports show a value outside of acceptable limits, what should we do?

Published 2024-05-19

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What are the requirements for ID badges?

Published 2024-04-19

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What is the requirement for having a hazardous material inventory?

Published 2024-04-17

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What is the annual evaluation requirement for Environment of Care management plans?

Published 2024-04-15

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When organizations provide refrigerators in patient rooms for personal use, is temperature monitoring and log maintenance required for these refrigerators?

Published 2024-04-14

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What are compliance requirements for ventilation, temperature and relative humidity?

Published 2024-04-13

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What are The Joint Commission standards with regards to Environment of Care Committee requirements?

Published 2024-04-12

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Can various types of medical gas cylinders be stored comingled in the same storage room?

Published 2024-04-11

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Is there a requirement to specify or identify a Safety Officer?

Published 2024-04-09

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What is the requirement or standard that addresses thermometers or temperature logs in staff only refrigerators?

Published 2024-04-07

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What does it mean to be secure?

Published 2024-04-06

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What are the maintenance requirements for ice machines in health care settings?

Published 2024-04-04

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What is the requirement for retroactive compliance with NFPA 99-1999?

Published 2024-04-03

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What are expectations relating to procedures that address emergency clinical interventions during utility system disruptions?

Published 2024-04-01

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What is the requirement for safety, operational and functional checks to be performed on equipment?

Published 2024-03-31

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What is the requirement for testing kitchen automatic fire extinguishing systems and cleaning requirements?

Published 2024-03-30

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What is the requirement for organizations to use when assessing building design and construction criteria?

Published 2024-03-29

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What is the requirement for testing the battery feature of egress lights?

Published 2024-03-28

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What is the requirement for labeling medical gas shut-off valves?

Published 2024-03-27

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What is the requirement for activities and intervals of testing for piped medical gas and vacuum systems?

Published 2024-03-26

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What is the requirement for testing essential electrical system transfer switches (automatic and manual)?

Published 2024-03-25

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What are the requirements for developing a security management plan?

Published 2024-03-22

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What are the maintenance requirements for hemodialysis plumbing fixtures in patient rooms?

Published 2024-03-21

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Our hospital has a segregated compounding area in the Emergency Department with an IV hood. Are there any restrictions on what medications can be compounded in that area ?

Published 2024-03-20

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Are electrical panels required to be locked?

Published 2024-03-17

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How often are safety and security risk assessments required to be performed after the initial evaluation is completed?

Published 2024-03-16

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What are the requirements for an emergency call button in a public restroom?

Published 2024-03-15

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What is the requirement for fire extinguisher inspection intervals?

Published 2024-03-14

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How do management plans differ from policies and procedures?

Published 2024-03-13

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What is the minimum required on-site fuel supply necessary?

Published 2024-03-12

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Where can relocatable power taps (RPTs) be used and what are the UL requirements?

Published 2024-03-11

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What are the requirements for electronic cigarettes?

Published 2024-03-10

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How does grounds maintenance activities apply to safety in the environment of care?

Published 2024-03-09

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What is The Joint Commission standard for performing weekly maintenance on generators?

Published 2024-03-07

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What is the requirement for an organization to have a pre-construction risk assessment?

Published 2024-03-06

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How and when are risk assessments required to be performed?

Published 2024-03-05

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What is the requirement for fire signal transmissions during fire drills?

Published 2024-03-03

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What is the requirement for under-sink storage?

Published 2024-03-01

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Are environment of care management plans required for business occupancies?

Published 2024-02-29

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Are fans allowed in patient care areas, laboratories, or other support areas in an organization?

Published 2024-02-28

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Can the generator load bank test be combined to meet the 36-month test as well as the 4-hour load test?

Published 2024-02-27

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What is the design and operational criteria for eye wash stations and emergency showers?

Published 2024-02-15

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What is the requirement for hand washing sinks in an outpatient setting?

Published 2024-02-14

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What are the specific requirements for the deployment of sharps containers?

Published 2024-02-13

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What is the requirement for determining fire extinguisher types in operating rooms?

Published 2024-02-12

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What is the requirement that addresses ventilation/temperature/relative humidity for instrument processing areas in dental health settings?

Published 2024-02-10

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Healthcare Life Safety

Published 2023-03-22

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