Top Joint Commission Citations: Corridor Clutter, Door Wedges

Monitor fire doors improperly held open

In close second place on The Joint Commission's list of top citations is:

LS.02.01.10 (43% of hospitals receiving findings), which requires facilities to design and maintain building features to minimize the effects of smoke and fire.

Many citations under LS.02.01.10 come from a common problem: fire doors that don't properly latch closed, said Claude Baker, CFPS, fire and life safety officer at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

An easy-to-spot snafu occurs when staff members prop open fire doors with wedges or chocks, which defeat the purpose of requiring the doors to self-close or close upon activation of a fire alarm.

CEOs should ask safety committees to identify problem areas where this bad habit crops up and offer refresher education for employees if necessary, Baker said.