Interim Life Safety Measures (ILSM)
Construction in healthcare and hospital environments pose dangers not only to
the craftsperson, but to hospital staff and patients. Interim Life Safety Measures
are health and safety measures that are put in place to protect
the safety of patients, visitors, and staff who work in the hospital.
In simple terms we are talking about things like exit signs and
pathways to an egress point, fire protection systems including
smoke detectors, fire suppression, fire extinguishers and fire
alarm systems, smoke barriers, emergency evacuation plans, in
addition to many other items that contribute to the well being
and safety of occupants in the hospital or healthcare facility.
The word Interim comes into play when construction or maintenance
activities will have an impact on the life safety systems in the
hospital, thus requiring an Interim plan to address the
deficiencies created by the work activity. The Joint
Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
(JCAHO) developed Interim Life Safety Measures (ILSM) to
protect the safety and health of patients by compensating
for hazards caused by Life Safety Code deficiencies or construction activity.
See Also:
A Three Step Approach to an Effective ILSM Program
From the pre-project stage, we assess the risks to life safety, and
train your staff and contractor personnel. We study every phase to
identify hazards and determine preventive measures. Throughout the
project, we audit life safety procedures to verify compliance with
both JCAHO policies and your own standards. Once the project is
complete, we assess the entire process to make the next project
even safer and more efficient. Our staff are dedicated to providing
the safest healthcare and hospital construction projects integrated with ILSM.
We treat this work as if our own family and children are patients and staff, and take
all possible steps to minimize the hazards.
If you have an existing Interim Life Safety Measures program,
we can assist you with planning and assessments, or
even manage that program for you, freeing up internal
staff to serve your mission.