Compliance News: TJC Provides More Corridor Clutter Guidance
by David Stymiest, PE, CHFM, CHSP, FASHE
TJC continued providing corridor clutter clarifications and expectations in the September 2012 edition of The Joint Commission Perspectives®, which is TJC’s official newsletter. In this issue TJC Department of Engineering Director George Mills followed up on his August 2012 column by addressing several additional issues including latching patient room doors, corridor walls, corridors and air supply, corridor projections. He also provided additional guidance related to the CMS waiver policy regarding certain provisions of the 2012 Life Safety Code.
Mr. Mills discussed the differences between the required patient room door latches and the self-closing or automatic closing devices that are not required for patient room doors. He discussed TJC’s expectation that accredited organizations are required to have in their fire response plans a process to ensure that patient room doors close and latch in a fire emergency. Because this requirement must be in the facility fire response plan, staff are accountable for checking patient room doors and closing the open ones during both fire drills and non-drill fire events.
