putting a bed in a hallway of a mental health inpatient unit?

MaryPush · Oct 8, 2008

Where would I find the laws regarding this practice? My clinical instructor said to find the OSHA law about it, but I have scoured their site to no avail. I just want a little info to carry to clinical tomorrow.

Just a reminder, OSHA doesn't care about your patients. OSHA would only care about this situation if it involved the safety of employees.

shelly304 · Oct 8, 2008

But it will involve OSHA because the safety of the employees is impacted if a bed is in a hallway and a fire occurs.

The OP does not say "patients" are involved nor does the OP state the bed in the hallway is occupied. Either way, the bed in the hallway is against OSHA regulation. Whether it is in a LTC facility or mental health inpatient unit etc.

MaryPush · Oct 9, 2008

But it will involve OSHA because the safety of the employees is impacted if a bed is in a hallway and a fire occurs.
The OP does not say "patients" are involved nor does the OP state the bed in the hallway is occupied. Either way, the bed in the hallway is against OSHA regulation. Whether it is in a LTC facility or mental health inpatient unit etc.

The only time OSHA would care is if the bed (or anything for that matter) is blocking the fire exit. There is no OSHA regulation/standard re: placement/location of patient beds in any type of health care facility.

With all due respect, please cite the specific OSHA standard and I will stand humbly corrected.

ChaosRN777 · Oct 9, 2008

Actually it would be a JACHO standard that would be violated. Then you could look into the state standards, for New York it would be OMH - Office of mental health. They have "taken away" our use of observation rooms, except for use as a restraint (locked seclusion). We cannot use it as a bedroom nor can we use it as an observation room for someone who we might want to keep a closer eye on, say, over night only.

then there is CQC .... their number should be on any patient rights packet.

)O~

PS- doesn't that sort of violate pt privacy and dignity too?

:up: