JCAHO Regulations for Self-Locking Housekeeping Carts

JCAHO, or the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, sets standards and offers accreditation to health care organizations. Regulations for self-locking housekeeping carts fall under the "Environment of Care" (EC) JCAHO standard.

Environment of Care Standard 1.20.1,4,5

• JCAHO Environment of Care Standard 1.20 requires that health care organizations maintain a safe environment. Environmental tours performed by JCAHO inspectors include inspection of places where hazardous materials are used and stored, hazardous wastes are stored, solid wastes are managed and where infectious wastes are managed.

Housekeeping Carts

• A variety of JCAHO-compliant housekeeping carts are available. Carts must have a self-locking lid and a place to store cleaning instructions.

Aquiring Standards

• According to JCHAO, all standards--including Environmental Care standards applicable to housekeeping carts--are available in both print and electronic form. You can purchase them from the Joint Commission Resources.