Guest guest Posted May 16, 2004 Report Share Posted May 16, 2004 The exam room I got did not have a sink either, so I had one installed. It wasn't too big a deal because there used to be a sink there and for some reason, the previous tenant removed it. Maybe you could look into getting one installed? Personally, I don't think I could have an exam room without a sink, but that's just me. Are there any OSHA rules regarding whether or not sinks are required? Seto South Pasadena, CA > I am in the process of relocating my office, and would like feedback > from the group. Several potential office spaces do not have nearby > plumbing for a sink in my office/exam room. The antibacterial gels > seem to be adequate for most instances, but when I remove my powdered > gloves, I like to wash the powder off. Guess I could use a wipe… > > Anyone in a situation without readily accessible plumbing? How do > you work around this? > > > > A. Eads, M.D. > > Pinnacle Family Medicine, PLLC > > phone fax > > P.O. Box 7275 > > Woodland Park, CO 80863 > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 16, 2004 Report Share Posted May 16, 2004 Greetings, I have worked before in offices without readily available sinks. And currently, I do not have a sink in my main exam room. But there is a sink only 15 feet away, with easy access in my second exam room. Also, in my main exam room, we mostly talk. The second room is for gloved procedures and such. I keep the hand gel on my desk. Just my 2 cents. TAS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 18, 2004 Report Share Posted May 18, 2004 My previous exam room was a former file room that had a water fountain on the other side of the wall. I tapped into that for a cold water sink. Many spaces I considered were nixed because of the plumbing issue. BUT there is more water in these old buildings than you think. And the exam room sink is not a very demanding water fixture, so the sewer line can wander a bit also. I know that I dislike it when I don't have water. We've all been trained to be pretty OCD about wasking hands and it starts to bother when I can't get glove powder off and my patient's can't wash their hands either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 18, 2004 Report Share Posted May 18, 2004 I have practiced in the primitive world of Vanuatu in the S. Pacific where hospital facilities were abysmal. There was no running water in the hospital. I acutely recall examining patients with Hepatitis, infections, TB, etc and admonishing them to "remember to wash your hands to avoid spreading the disease". It felt awful to realize that I was unable to wash my hands! I feel strongly that the sink in the exam room or very close by is an essential part of the 'germ theory health model' and that we set the example. In my practice now I inherited a suite formerly used by a dentist. It has step-on water on-off switches on the floor in front of the sink in each exam room. It is so cool. My point: We wash our hands for our protection, to protect our patients and to model the correct behavior. Do that in the room. If you don't have a plumbed-in sink, how about a "wash stand" with enamelled bowl and pitcher of water that you have to empty twice a day? Dennis Galvon -----Original Message-----From: phoxtrotter@... Sent: Monday, May 17, 2004 9:31 PMTo: Subject: Re: office plumbingMy previous exam room was a former file room that had a water fountain on the other side of the wall. I tapped into that for a cold water sink. Many spaces I considered were nixed because of the plumbing issue. BUT there is more water in these old buildings than you think. And the exam room sink is not a very demanding water fixture, so the sewer line can wander a bit also. I know that I dislike it when I don't have water. We've all been trained to be pretty OCD about wasking hands and it starts to bother when I can't get glove powder off and my patient's can't wash their hands either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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