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IQ

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Test your

STANDARDS


The Questions


How well do you really know the standards? Take this short quiz to refresh your memory, test your knowledge, and/or educate your staff about the Environment of Care, Emergency Management, and Life Safety standards and other essential accreditation information. Use the quiz to help brush up on key topics or even to prepare for the Certified Joint Commission Professional® (CJCP®) exam.* Turn to page 11 for the answers, if you don’t already know them.


  1. How often must a health care organization test its carbon dioxide fire extinguishing systems?

    1. every quarter

    2. twice per year

    3. every 12 months

  2. For hospitals that provide emergency services, how many disaster exercises should include an escalating event (where the local community is unable to support the health care organization)?

    1. at least one

    2. two or more

    3. zero to three (depending on the organization’s hazard vulnerability analysis)


  3. If a soiled linen or trash receptacle is larger than , an organization must keep it in a room protected as a hazardous area.

    1. 8 gallons

    2. 16 gallons

    3. l32 gallons

  4. A health care organization must locate Class K–type portable fire extinguishers within of grease-producing cooking devices, such as deep fat fryers, ranges, griddles, or broilers.

    1. 15 feet

    2. 30 feet

    3. 45 feet

  5. How often do hospitals seeking deemed status need to inspect, test, and calibrate their nuclear medicine equipment?

    1. quarterly

    2. annually

    3. every two years

How did you do? Check the answer key on page 11.


* In January 2013, Joint Commission Resources (JCR) launched its credential for accreditation professionals—Certified Joint Commission Professional® (CJCP®). Each month, this column features a sample question similar to those that appear on the examination. Please note that the sample questions are NOT actual examination questions. For more information on CJCP®, visit http://www.jcrinc.com/cjcp-certification/. You may also e-mail questions directly to cjcp@jcrinc.com.

IQ

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Test your

STANDARDS


The Answers


Here are the answers to the questions on page 2. How did you do?

  1. C, every 12 months. Although health care organizations are not required to have carbon dioxide fire extinguishing systems, facilities that have them must check the equipment every

    12 months. For the tests, the organization does not have to discharge the fire extinguishing system, merely verify that everything is in working order. The completion dates of all tests should be documented.

    STANDARDS REFERENCE: EC.02.03.05, EP 14


  2. A, at least one. To truly test emergency response plans, hospitals should integrate escalating events into their emergency exercises. Escalating events involve incidents that build on each other to create a large-scale emergency that affects the entire community, such as a hurricane that knocks out power, levels the emergency room, and disables both internal and external communication systems.

    For a hospital that offers emergency services, or could expect to receive patients in a communitywide emergency, at least one of the organization’s planned exercises must include an escalating event in which the hospital cannot be supported by the local community. Note that the escalating portion of the exercise can

    be conducted separately from the original drill. In fact, tabletop sessions are acceptable in meeting this requirement and can be a valuable tool in assessing readiness.

    STANDARDS REFERENCE: EM.03.01.03, EP 3


  3. C, larger than 32 gallons. To reduce the likelihood of fire and preserve life safety, organizations should house their soiled linen and trash receptacles larger than 32 gallons in rooms protected

    as hazardous areas. Any receptacles smaller than 32 gallons may be placed throughout a facility provided that they do not present a risk to patients, staff, or visitors.

    STANDARDS REFERENCE: LS.02.01.70, EP 2


  4. B, 30 feet. A Class K–type portable fire extinguisher is designed to form a thick “skin” over a grease fire to contain it until it is

    truly out. These extinguishers must be located within 30 feet of a grease-producing device, such as a deep fryer, griddle,

    broiler, or range. A sign near the K-type extinguisher must clearly state that the fire suppression system directly protecting the cooking appliance should be activated first, and then the K-type extinguisher should be used. The Joint Commission would expect staff working in the area to be trained on use of this equipment.

    STANDARDS REFERENCE: LS.02.01.35, EP 9


  5. B, annually. Hospitals that use Joint Commission accreditation for deemed status purposes must have qualified staff inspect, test, and calibrate nuclear medicine equipment annually. The Human Resources standards outline possible qualifications for the inspector. As with other inspections, organizations should document the dates of nuclear medicine testing.

STANDARDS REFERENCE: EC.02.04.03, EP 14 EC