According to HIPAA there are disposal methods of records that need to be followed to be in compliance with the laws. Disposal of these records are considered as part of the Life Safety Code (LSC). This code is for further protection of patient records and medical information. Diverse disposal approaches for records are approved by HIPAA. The disposal method chosen by the medical record depository must be a removal method that will leave no possibility of reconstruction.

Disposal Methods

Disposal methods under the Life Safety Code include shredding, pulping, burning and recycling or pulverizing.

– One popular way to dispose of patient health information is to place the records in containers or shredding binds that are locked. Organizations that specialize in the collecting of private paper discards for disposal will pick up these records and dispose of them according to the Life Safety Code. Collection bins are placed tactically in the clinic, insurance building or storage facility and have openings that will accommodate numerous sheets of paper.

Disposal boxes are secured and no one is allowed to open paper receptacles except the actual disposal company or the employee whose duties include procedural destruction of the papers, charts and files.Life Safety compliance may be assigned to the housekeeping or environmental departments or outsourced to a third party company.

These types of shred or storage bins fulfill a HIPAA regulation.

The Life Safety Code

The National Fire Protection Association’s Life Safety Code is anestablished protection binder that covers the facility occupancy topographies essential to lessen danger from fire, panic, smoke or fumes.

If you are a healthcare organization that participates in Medicaid and Medicare programs must be in submission with the Life Safety Code. There are standards that are required to be followed and these include:

– Trash bins and containers must be to hold a specified amount of paper waste and be the regulated size.Bins need to have be able to hold 32 gallons. If these bins are in hazardous areas they can be larger.Hazardous area must be covered by fire sprinklers and fire barriers that will hold back a fire for at least one hour.

HIPPA operations are one of the encouraging factors for the appropriate disposal of heath records and the other factors include shredding bins that could be a fire hazard. If a medical clinic, insurance company or storage facility does not comply with these typed of regulations they can be cited by state regulating agencies as well as appropriate licensing agencies. By following these recommendations a facility will stay in compliance the Life Code as well as HIPAA regulations.

1. Keep a paper trail and file of external vendor contracts. Make sure shred bins are in compliance of standard sizes and placed in strategic areas in the clinic;

2. Ensure that all compliant business regulations are in place with vendors and in agreement with HIPAA.

3. Find the best physicalsites for shredding bins and make sure the size is appropriate for the area where the bins are placed.

4. Keep in communication with the internal facility and plant operations plus environment services for guidance concerning the Life Services Code and other external concerns.

5. Monitor shred bin and container placement during periodic audits to make certain that LSC compliance is within set regulations.

For more information, please visit our Life safety Training website.

For more information, please visit our Life safety Training website http://www.hipaaexams.com/life-safety.asp

Author Bio: For more information, please visit our Life safety Training website.

Category: Education
Keywords: Life safety Training