15A NCAC 18A .1312      TOILET: HANDWASHING: AND BATHING FACILITIES

(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, .1304, and 10A NCAC 13K .1109, .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.

History Note:        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.