2017 -- H 5324 SUBSTITUTE A

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LC001068/SUB A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY - LICENSING OF HEALTH CARE FACILITIES

     

     Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, Morin, Messier, McLaughlin, and Bennett

     Date Introduced: February 01, 2017

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Chapter 23-17 of the General Laws entitled "Licensing of Health-Care

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Facilities" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     23-17-49.1. Workplace and patient safety - evacuation of surgical smoke plume

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required in operating rooms.

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     (a) As used in this section, the following definitions shall apply:

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      (1) "Smoke evacuation system" means smoke evacuators, laser plume evacuators, plume

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scavengers, and local exhaust ventilators that capture and neutralize plume at the site of origin

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and before plume can make ocular contact or contact with the respiratory tract of employees.

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     (2) "Surgical smoke" means the by-product of use of energy-generating devices including

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surgical plume, smoke plume, bio-aerosols, laser-generated airborne contaminants, and lung-

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damaging dust.

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     (b) In order to protect patient and health workers from the hazards of surgical smoke,

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each hospital and freestanding ambulatory surgical facility licensed in the state of Rhode Island

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pursuant to this chapter shall adopt policies to ensure the elimination of surgical smoke by use of

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a smoke evacuation system for each procedure that generates surgical smoke from the use of

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energy-based devices such as but not limited to electrosurgery and lasers.

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     (c) Each hospital and freestanding ambulatory surgical center shall report to the

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department of health within ninety days (90) of the effective date of this act that policies pursuant

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to this section have been adopted.

 

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2018.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY - LICENSING OF HEALTH CARE FACILITIES

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     This act would require all hospitals and freestanding ambulatory surgical facilities

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licensed in this state to adopt policies to use a smoke evacuation system for surgical procedures

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that generate surgical smoke.

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     This act would take effect on January 1, 2018.

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