By David Stymiest, PE, CHFM, FASHE
An article by TJC Director of Engineering George Mills in the August 2012 edition of EC News discussed at length the continuing issue of corridor clutter. This article is in the EC News “Clarifications and Expectations” column that is intended to increase accredited organizations’ awareness of the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code®.1 We recommend that you obtain and review this article and its follow-up article in the next issue of EC News.
Corridors need to be kept clear of clutter because of NFPA 101 Life Safety Code® requirements and also for ease of rapid patient movement in response to emergency conditions.
Crash carts and isolation carts may be stored in corridors while they are “in use” according to TJC. Crash carts must always be available and ready for use, so they are always “in use.” Isolation carts are in use as long as they are outside a patient room to which the patient for that cart has been assigned. An isolation cart outside a patient room is not in use after that patient has been discharged. If a hospital chooses to use door-hanging isolation cabinets rather than isolation carts, it is important to ensure that all NFPA 101 Life Safety Code® clear width requirements are maintained when the door is open. With the door closed the maximum six inch obstruction rule (reducing corridor width by not more than six inches) still applies even to that cabinet.
