Tip of the week: The LSC's rules apply to recyclable materials, too

We saw an interesting discussion this week debating whether materials earmarked for recycling fell under the Life Safety Code (LSC).

Someone asked fellow members of the Hospitals for a Healthy Environment listserv about the 32-gal. limit on trash receptacles in paragraph 19.7.5.5 of the LSC.

The LSC doesn't differentiate between trash headed to a landfill and materials that can be recycled. From a fire safety standpoint, paper and plastic are combustible if a fire occurs and can help spread flames.

In brief, the LSC states that in hospitals:

• Trash containers can't exceed 32 gal. in capacity
• The average density of container capacity can't exceed 0.5 gal. per square foot
• You can't exceed the 32-gal. capacity within a 64-square-foot area
• Mobile containers with more than 32 gal. of capacity must remain in rooms with protection features for hazardous areas when the containers are unattended

Authorities generally allow some flexibility, similar to other wheeled carts in healthcare facilities. If an employee goes around a unit collecting recyclables with a 90-gal. wheeled bin, it is okay for the cart to temporarily remain in a corridor that doesn't have hazardous area protection because the LSC considers the bin "in use" by the worker. Generally, CMS and the Joint Commission have interpreted this to mean the bin can remain in the corridor for 30 minutes before it has to be moved again.

Soiled linen containers fall under the same line of thinking--subscribers to Healthcare Life Safety Compliance can check their electronic archives for a related story in the November 2007 issue.