Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a) A
center must ensure a sanitary environment by following accepted standards of
practice and maintain a safe physical environment free of hazards for minors,
staff, and visitors.
(b) A center
must ensure that the following conditions are met.
(1) Wastewater and sewage must be discharged
into a state-approved municipal sewage system. An on-site sewage facility must
be approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) or
authorized agent.
(2) The water
supply must be from a system approved by the Public Drinking Water Section of
the TCEQ, or from a system regulated by an entity responsible for water quality
in the jurisdiction where the center is located as approved by the Public
Drinking Water Section of the TCEQ.
(3) Waste, trash, and garbage must be
disposed of from the premises at regular intervals in accordance with state and
local practices. Excessive accumulations are not permitted. Outside containers
must have tight-fitting lids left in closed position. Containers must be
maintained in a clean and serviceable condition.
(4) Center grounds must be well kept and the
exterior of the building, including sidewalks, steps, porches, ramps, and
fences, must be in good repair.
(5)
The interior of the center's buildings including walls, ceilings, floors,
windows, window coverings, doors, plumbing and electrical fixtures must be in
good repair.
(6) Pest control must
be provided by a licensed structural pest control applicator with a license
category for pests. The center must maintain documented evidence of routine
efforts to remove rodents and insects.
(7) The center must be kept free of offensive
odors, accumulations of dirt, rubbish, dust, and hazards. Storage areas,
attics, and cellars must be free of refuse and extraneous materials.
(c) A center must adopt and
enforce a written work plan for housekeeping operations, with categorization of
cleaning assignments as daily, weekly, monthly, or annually within each area of
the center.
(d) A center must
ensure the provision of housekeeping and maintenance of the interior, exterior
and grounds of the center in a safe, clean, orderly and attractive manner. The
center must provide housekeeping and maintenance staff with equipment and
supplies if needed. A center must designate staff to be responsible for
overseeing the housekeeping services.
(e) A center must develop procedures for the
selection, use, and disposal of housekeeping and cleaning products and
equipment. The center must ensure:
(1) the
use of EPA approved cleaning products appropriate for the application and
materials to be sanitized;
(2) the
following of manufacturer instructions for use and disposal of cleaning
products;
(3) all bleaches,
detergents, disinfectants, insecticides, and other poisonous substances are
kept in a safe place accessible only to staff; and
(4) all products are labeled.
(f) A center must ensure a
sufficient supply of clean linens is available to meet the needs of minors.
Clean laundry must be provided in-house by the center, through a contract with
another health care center, or with an outside commercial laundry
service.
(g) A center must ensure:
(1) linens are handled, stored, and processed
so as to control the spread of infection;
(2) linens are maintained in good
repair;
(3) linens are washed,
dried, stored, and transported in a manner which will produce hygienically
clean linen;
(4) the washing
process has a mechanism for removing soil and killing bacteria;
(5) clean linens are stored in a clean linen
area easily accessible to the staff;
(6) soiled linens and clothing are stored
separately from clean linen and clothing;
(7) soiled linens and clothing are stored in
well ventilated areas, and are not permitted to accumulate at the
center;
(8) soiled linens and
clothing are transported in accordance with procedures consistent with
universal precautions;
(9) soiled
linens are not sorted, laundered, rinsed, or stored in bathrooms, corridors,
food preparation area, or food storage areas;
(10) a minor's clothing stored at the center
is cleaned after each use; and
(11)
staff wash their hands both after handling soiled linen and before handling
clean linen.
