NFPA releases active shooter/hostile event standard
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recently published NFPA 3000, Standard for an Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response Program. The new standard provides communities with a tool to develop a coordinated response to community active shooter and hostile events. While the majority of the standard applies to communities in general, there are provisions that hospital and health system leaders and security departments should understand.
Joint Commission issues alert on worker violence
The Joint Commission has issued a Sentinel Event Alert in an effort to help prevent physical and verbal violence against health care workers. Violence against health care workers occurs in virtually all settings, with the emergency department and inpatient psychiatric settings having the most recorded incidents, according to the alert, which recommends seven actions to help health care organizations to address the problem. The actions include training all staff, including security, in de-escalation, self-defense and response to emergency codes; and developing quality-improvement initiatives to reduce incidents of workplace violence, including changes to the physical environment.
AHA urges FCC to fully fund rural program
The American Hospital Association (AHA) in late April urged the Federal Communications Commission to reverse the “large and unexpected” funding cuts to Rural Health Care program participants in fiscal 2017 and permanently adjust the program’s funding cap to prevent similar cuts in the future. The $400 million annual cap has been unchanged for more than 20 years. “These cuts not only affect the ability of these rural health care providers to maintain strong broadband connections, but also could force tough decisions affecting funding for essential health care services,” wrote Ashley Thompson, AHA senior vice president for public policy analysis and development.
IAHSS releases guideline on violence management
The International Association for Healthcare Security & Safety (IAHSS) recently released a new guideline titled “Violent Patient/Patient Visitor Management.” The guideline initially was developed by the IAHSS Council on Guidelines, which then sought out and incorporated feedback from IAHSS members, the Emergency Nurses Association and the American Organization of Nurse Executives. The guideline provides specific sample policy and processes for identifying and mitigating violence and threats from patients and visitors.
NFPA accepting comments on 101 and 99
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is seeking public input on the next editions of two key documents for health care facilities: NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, and NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code. NFPA 101 is a source for strategies to protect people based on building construction, protection and occupancy features that minimize the effects of fire and related hazards, while NFPA 99 establishes criteria for levels of health care services or systems based on risk to patients, staff or visitors in health care facilities to minimize the hazards of fire, explosion and electricity. Comments can be submitted through June 27.
