Trash Chute Door1445040
Wow… What a scary site to see. Trash bags caught in the trash chute in such a way that it prevents the chute doors from automatically closing. And make no error about it, the trash chute doors are required to close and latch, automatically.
Section 19.five.4.three of the 2000 edition of the Life Security Code demands trash chutes to discharge into trash collection rooms and the trash collection rooms cannot be used for any other purpose. So, that means you cannot store items that are not associated to the trash chute in the room, such as floor scrubber machines.
The scene in the image is commonly caused by the failure to empty the cart in time, prior to it fills up to the point exactly where the bags of trash prevent the chute doors from closing. In today’s economy, it is not all that uncommon to learn that staff reductions in the Environmental Services (housekeeping) department stop adequate staffing to remove the trash bags. Whilst this might be a reputable reason, someone at this hospital forgot the importance of removing the trash on a normal basis. They require to make this a priority.
From a life security point of view, it would be better to remove the cart and allow the bags to fall onto the floor. This way it would take a lot more bags of trash to pile up before it would obstruct the chute door from closing. I’m not sure what the hospital’s Infection Manage professional would say about that, but I would suggest it as an option if the ES division can't empty the cart often enough.
If you determine to permit the bags of trash to accumulate on the floor in the trash chute discharge room, I suggest you conduct a danger assessment to analyze the risks to patient security. This way, you can demonstrate to a surveyor that the dangers were considered if the surveyor has a issue with bags o’ trash scattered on the floor.
