Hydration stations?

It still does prohibit the application of lip balm.

This is the OSHA rule:

"Prohibition of eating, drinking, applying cosmetics or lip balm, and/or handling contact lenses in work areas where there is a likelihood of occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials."

There is a likelihood of occupational exposure to blood or potentially infectious materials in a patient room, in dirty utility rooms, in procedural rooms, in "common" areas which would include a nursing station that is equally accessible to both staff and patients, although you don't really see those anymore. But a separate "nursing core" or "nursing station" area isn't typically considered a "likely" place to be exposed to blood or infectious materials.

I think the problem is far more often with bad interpretations of the rule on the part of facilities, not on what the surveyors actually enforce.

Absolutely. In prep for our survey this past spring, I actually went to JC's website and was reading through their documents, policies and FAQs. I was shocked at how many things that I/we have been told over the years is "a JCAHO policy" is actually NOT, and that they specifically say "We has no formal policy on that..." There is way more blamed on JC that JC has no purview over.

This is the OSHA rule:

"Prohibition of eating, drinking, applying cosmetics or lip balm, and/or handling contact lenses in work areas where there is a likelihood of occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials."

There is a likelihood of occupational exposure to blood or potentially infectious materials in a patient room, in dirty utility rooms, in procedural rooms, in "common" areas which would include a nursing station that is equally accessible to both staff and patients, although you don't really see those anymore. But a separate "nursing core" or "nursing station" area isn't typically considered a "likely" place to be exposed to blood or infectious materials.

Your hospital -- or your manager can designate anywhere she wants as a "likely" place to be exposed to blood or infectious materials.

in our unit, it isn't so much an OSHA issue as it is an issue with one of our surgeons. He walked through the unit, noticed nurses drinking coffee and threw a fit, stating that drinks should not be visible to patients or families. So our head nurse went through the unit designating "hydration stations" where we can stash our drinks on the day shift. The whole issue makes me angry because this very same surgeon tours the unit daily with a big cup of Starbucks in his hand.

Ugggh.