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PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 01-1977

NOTICES

Infection Control Risk Assessment

[31 Pa.B. 6103]

   Under the Health Care Facilities Act (35 P. S. §§ 448.101 et. seq.) and the hospital and ambulatory surgical facility regulations, the Department of Health (Department) published a ''notice to adopt'' the 2001 edition of the ''Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospital and Health Care Facilities'' (Guidelines) at 31 Pa.B. 2636 (May 19, 2001). This notice stated that the 2001 edition of the Guidelines would become mandatory on November 24, 2001, and that plans for new construction or renovations could be submitted for review and approval utilizing either the 2001 edition or the 1996-97 edition until November 23, 2001.

   The Department is publishing this notice to alert health care providers, architects and organizations of a new requirement contained in Chapter 5 of the 2001 edition of the Guidelines, which calls for an Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) to be prepared for construction projects by the owner of the facility, with assistance from the design professionals. The ICRA is used by the Department to determine the potential risks of transmission and infection of various agents caused by the new construction. The ICRA is to be initiated in design and planning phases of construction projects, continuing through the actual construction and renovation of the health care construction project, to minimize conditions that may be hazardous to patients located in nearby areas.

   The Department is making the ICRA documents mandatory for plan submissions it receives after November 23, 2001, to coincide with the mandatory usage of the new 2001 edition of the Guidelines.

   The ICRA shall be prepared by the health care provider and submitted separately in triplicate sets on standard 8 1/2" by 11" paper, with the triplicate sets of construction plans that are submitted to the Division of Safety Inspection for approval of each project. The ICRA will be forwarded by the Division of Safety Inspection to the surveyors in the Division of Acute and Ambulatory Care who conduct the patient care onsite surveys of hospital and ambulatory surgical facilities, for their review, information and comment.

   Persons interested in purchasing a copy of the 2001 edition of the Guidelines may telephone the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Bookstore (small orders) at (202) 626-7541 or (800) 242-3837, or the AIA Fulfillment House (large orders) at (800) 365-2724 to place an order or request a catalog.

   Questions should be directed to Peter P. Petresky, Director, Division of Safety Inspection at (717) 787-1911. Persons with a disability who require an alternative format of this document should contact the following: V/TT: (717) 783-6514 for Speech and/or Hearing Impaired Persons or the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Service at (800) 654-5984 [TT].

ROBERT S. ZIMMERMAN, Jr.,   
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 01-1977. Filed for public inspection November 2, 2001, 9:00 a.m.]


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