Joint Commission Pest Control Checklist

Healthcare facilities aim to provide the highest quality of care to patients by following the standards set by the Joint Commission. The Joint Commission is the nation’s largest and oldest accrediting healthcare organization that evaluates the effectiveness, safety and quality of healthcare facilities.

What many healthcare professionals may not realize is that the Joint Commission’s quality control standards also apply to pest management programs. These standards evaluate whether facilities follow the proper protocols to ensure the safety of staff and patients during pest prevention and treatment.

Use this checklist to help determine whether your facility’s pest management program is in line with the Joint Commission’s standards. If you find gaps, partner with your pest management provider to reconcile them.

Environment of Care Standard 3.10: The organization manages hazardous materials and waste risks.

Element of Performance 1: Hazardous Materials, Hazardous Waste Management Plan and Hazardous Waste Inventory

The organization creates and maintains an inventory that identifies hazardous materials and waste used, stored or generated using criteria consistent with applicable law and regulation.

Evidence of Compliance

Facility has hazardous materials inventory, readily accessible by appropriate staff, containing accurate list of pesticides.

Facility has plans on file, readily accessible by appropriate staff, for pesticide:

Application

• Selecting chemicals used in groundskeeping

• Ensuring restricted or prohibited pesticides not used

• Ensuring pesticide applicators appropriately trained, licensed

Disposal

• Managing waste pesticides as hazardous waste

• Triple rinsing pesticide containers

• Managing rinsate as hazardous waste if not used

• Managing disinfectants and sterilants as pesticides

Evidence of Performance Improvement

Facility has plans on file, readily accessible by appropriate staff, for:

• Implementing an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program

• Documenting and tracking the quantity of hazardous materials (including pesticides) used over successive time periods

• Reducing the size of hazardous materials inventory

Element of Performance 5: Implementation of Hazardous Material and Hazardous Waste Program

The organization establishes and implements processes that minimize risks associated with selecting, handling, storing, transporting, using and disposing of hazardous materials and wastes from receipt or generation through use and/or final disposal, including managing the following: chemicals, chemotherapeutic materials, pharmaceuticals, radioactive materials and infectious and regulated medical waste including sharps.

Evidence of Compliance

• Pesticides classified for restricted use applied only by licensed applicators

• Pesticide containers triple rinsed

• Rinsate managed as hazardous waste if not used

• Hazardous waste determination made, documented for pesticides being discarded

• Designated facility contact notified when pesticides applied

Evidence of Performance Improvement

• Restricted pesticides not used

• Facility has instituted Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program with following elements:

• • Pesticide application used only as last resort

  • Least-toxic pesticides used when appropriate

  • Primary focus of program: pest identification, monitoring

  • Non-chemical methods used for pest control (e.g. traps, barriers)

• Staff training component, e.g. actions that help prevent pest activity from initiating on premises

• Pesticide applicators licensed, trained by appropriate authorities

Element of Performance 11: Hazardous Material and Hazardous Waste Documentation

The organization maintains documentation, including permits, licenses, manifests and safety data sheets (SDS) required by law and regulation.

Evidence of Compliance

• Records indicate appropriate training for staff using disinfectants, cold sterilants, pesticides

• Pesticide applicator licenses maintained or in pest management contract

• Documentation maintained to ensure exposure monitoring, no restricted pesticides

• For federal facility, documentation that IPM program in place

Evidence of Performance Improvement

• IPM program in place to reduce pesticide use

• Pesticide applicator licenses remain at facility regardless of whether pesticides are actively applied

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