What Does
Interim Life Safety Measures Mean?
Interim Life Safety Measures (ILSM) are health and safety measures developed by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) that are put in place to protect the safety of patients, visitors, and staff who work in the hospital.
These measures, which are developed to compensate for hazards that may occur, are implemented during construction and maintenance activities in any hospitals or healthcare facilities.
Safeopedia Explains Interim Life Safety Measures
The ILSM defines specific actions that need to be carried out, in part or whole, to compensate for hazards created during construction or maintenance activities. The following include some actions that hospitals or healthcare facilities would need to implement:
- Access to emergency services must be unfettered and unobstructed.
- All personnel (employees, construction workers, and temporary maintenance staff) must be trained regarding any alternate exits.
- Construction exits should be inspected on a daily basis.
- Fire alarms and sprinkler systems must be operational. In the event of impairment, equivalent systems must be provided, which should be inspected/tested monthly.
- Additional firefighting equipment must be provided, and employees must be trained in its appropriate use.
- Smoking must be prohibited, including in construction areas.
- Fire drills must be conducted periodically.
Hospitals and healthcare facilities are required to establish an ILSM policy that provides more details regarding the actions that organizations should undertake, as well as identifies persons responsible to manage and monitor these actions.