National Norms and Standards relating to Environmental Health

Adequate operating theatre exclusively for surgical operations for patients in need of surgicaltreatment must be provided on the premises.a) Every maternity home that receives patients in need of surgical treatment must provide an operatingtheatre used exclusively for surgical operations.b) The operating theatre must be provided with;• A scrubbing up room or bay, which must immediately adjoin the operating room;• A sterilizing room;• A theatre sluice room; and• A recovery room.c) The sterilizing door, which adjoins an operating room, must be separated by a swing door or otherapproved type door.d) The sluice-room, sterilizing room and the recovery room must be reasonably accessible from theoperating theatre.e) One sluice room, sterilizing room and recovery room may be used to serve more than one operatingtheatre.3.5 Ablution and sanitary facilitiesAdequate toilet and shower/bath facilities to meet the needs of patients and staff members mustbe provided.a) All bathrooms must be fitted with porcelain, enamel or cast iron enamel baths with a constant supplyof cold and hot running potable water.b) One bath must be provided for at least every 12 (twelve) patients on the premises 1:12.c) One toilet must be provided for at least every 12 (twelve) patients on the premises 1:12.d) One toilet and bath/shower must be provided for at least every 12 (twelve) nursing staff, domesticstaff and other employees on the premises 1:12.e) In calculating the number of toilets for patients or for the staff, no account must be taken of any toiletcontained in a bathroom.f) Every toilet must be equipped with an adequate flushing system and all toilets, bathrooms or showersmust be maintained in good working order.g) All toilets must be kept clean at all times, floors scrubbed and bowls cleaned and disinfected daily.3.6 Sluice-roomsSluice-rooms must be provided in every ward.a) Each sluice-room must be a minimum of at least 7m 2 in area and have a minimum width of 2.2 metersand be accessible to every ward which it serves.b) The sluice-room must be equipped with smooth and impervious shelves or other adequate apparatusfor the storage of bed-pans or other sanitary utensils.c) Adequate apparatus must be available for the cleaning and sterilizing of bed-pans.d) Receptacles equipped with a tight fitting lid must be available for the storage of soiled dressings.e) All sluice rooms must be kept clean at all times.3.7 Storage facilitiesAdequate storage facilities must be provided for storage and distribution of goods on thepremises.a) Storage facilities must be provided for storage of medicines and drugs and such facilities must bekept locked at all times except when medicines or drugs are being removed or returned to it.b) Additional storage facilities must be provided for the storage of poisons, habit-forming drugs andpotentially dangerous drugs.c) Any storage room and/or facility in a maternity home must be used exclusively for the storage anddistribution of those articles intended to be stored in such a store room or receptacles.d) Any storage room must contain adequate moveable shelving made of impervious material.e) Every shelf in a store room must be a minimum height of 225 mm above the floor.f) All storerooms and store facilities must be kept clean at all times and cleaned routinely at least onceevery week.DOH. Norms and standards for environmental health in South Africa Feb 2013 28