North Carolina Administrative Code › Title 15A - Environmental Quality › Chapter 18 - ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH › Subchapter A - SANITATION › Section .1300 - SANITATION OF HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES, ADULT CARE HOMES, AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS › Section 18A .1312 - TOILET: HANDWASHING: AND BATHING FACILITIES

Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 2, July 15, 2024
(a) All
				  institutions shall provide toilet, handwashing, and bathing facilities that are
				  available for use by residents and staff. These facilities shall be kept clean
				  and in good repair.
(b) Bathrooms
				  shall not be used for storage of items not currently in use. A sign shall be
				  posted in each toilet room for institution employees directing them to wash
				  their hands after each visit to the toilet room and before returning to
				  work.
(c) Institutions where
				  bedpans, bedside commodes, urinals, or emesis basins are used shall provide
				  facilities for emptying, cleaning, and disinfecting bedpans, bedside commodes,
				  urinals, and emesis basins. Bedpans, bedside commodes, urinals, shared diaper
				  changing surfaces, and emesis basins that have been used by a resident shall be
				  kept clean and shall be disinfected before use by other residents. When
				  disposable bedpans, emesis basins, and urinals are reused, they shall be
				  labeled so that they are associated with an individual resident. Disposable
				  bedpans, emesis basins, and urinals shall not be used by more than one
				  resident.
(d) Handwashing
				  facilities shall be located in an institution in accordance with
				  10A NCAC
				  13B .5411,
				  10A NCAC
				  13D .3201,
				  10A NCAC
				  13F .0305,
				  13F .1304, and
				  10A NCAC
				  13K .1109,
				  13K .1204, as applicable.
				  Institutions that do not have a handwashing facility located in all areas
				  required by this Paragraph shall not be required to install handwashing
				  facilities if the institution has an approved hand hygiene program. Hand
				  washing facilities shall be equipped with running water and a tempering device.
				  Handwashing facilities shall be supplied with soap and disposable towels or
				  hand-drying devices. Handwashing facilities shall be used only for handwashing
				  and shall not be used for disposal of bodily fluids or washing items that are
				  not clean. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, handwashing facilities
				  provided for use in a resident's room may be used for personal hygiene, rinsing
				  feeding tubes, obtaining drinking water, and disposal of medications in
				  accordance with the manufacturer's instructions or non-TCS liquids as long as
				  the handwashing facility is kept clean and is disinfected daily. Employees
				  shall be permitted to use handwashing facilities to dispose of medications in
				  accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
(e) EPA registered disinfectants shall be
				  used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. When EPA registered
				  disinfectants are mixed and prepared by institution employees, a measuring
				  device, chemical testing device, or the methods and devices prescribed by the
				  chemical manufacturer shall be used to prepare the concentration of chemicals
				  in accordance with the disinfectant's label and the manufacturer's
				  instructions.
(f) Bathing
				  facilities shall be equipped with running water and a tempering device. Bathing
				  equipment that has contact with a resident's skin and is used by more than one
				  resident shall be kept clean and shall be disinfected between resident uses.
				  Equipment located within a bathing facility that uses a pump to move water
				  shall be kept clean in accordance with the manufacturer's
				  instructions.
Authority
					 G.S.
					 130A-4;
					 130A-29;
					 130A-235;
Eff.
					 February 1, 1976;
Readopted Eff. December 5, 1977;
Amended Eff. March 1, 2003 (see S.L. 2002-160); September 1, 1990;
Temporary Amendment Eff. June 1, 2003;
Amended Eff. February 1,
					 2004;
Readopted Eff. December 1,
					 2022.