Sani-Liner®

Safety Test for Sani-Liner®
Wisconsin Converting, Inc. contacted the head of Bellin Hospital Respiratory Department in Green Bay, WI. The department head tested the Sani-Liner® paper trash can liner to see if it could be used for suffocation.

While being closely monitored: In test #1, the Doctor had a person hold the liner over their head very tightly around their neck. In test #2, the person had the liner sealed, with medical tape, around their neck. The subjects remained with the liners over their heads for ten minutes. The Doctor monitored the subjects' physiological conditions. He found no significant physiological changes in either of the subjects, or evidence of suffocation.

It is the Doctor's opinion that it would be very difficult for someone to suffocate themselves using this type of liner. Because the liners are made of porous paper, they are not airtight, and they appear difficult to form a tight seal with.

JCAHO Standards
Recent intense interest to purchase this product by Behaviorial Health Facilities seems to have been driven by The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). JCAHO is a voluntary, self-regulatory commission, headquartered in Chicago. The association grades hospitals, behavioral health centers, and other health facilities. A score is granted on all levels of the organization determined by the audit. If the facility does not or has not met the certification standards and/or practices, the facility runs the risk of forfeiting JCAHO certification.

The JCAHO standard that recently focused the attention of the Behavioral Healthcare Community is the standard under Environment of Care (EC).

"The organization identifies how it establishes and maintains a physical environment free of hazards, and manages staff activities to reduce the risk of injuries. Safety planning includes identifying processes for: Individual(s) to intervene whenever conditions pose an immediate threat to life or health or threaten damage to equipment of buildings."

While this regulation doesn't dictate regular use of paper trashcan liners, the inference is to not use plastic liners in a Behavioral Health Facility where there could be an immediate threat to life due to a psychiatric condition. These revised rules arise after several years of data collection, regarding deaths "Sentinel Events" due to patient access to plastic bags and other environmental causes.

JCAHO does not specify or approve products. It simply establishes standards of care. It is up to the institution as to how these standards are met.

"The majority of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' new patient safety standards went into effect on July 1, 2001. Although they are perhaps best known as an attempt to prevent medication errors, the standards will also have an important impact on the facility manager's job because of their connection to the hospital's Environment of Care (EC) function"

"Between March 20, 1998, and July 2001, JCAHO has published 21 of these alerts. Of these Sentinel Event Alerts to date, five relate directly to Environment of Care issues."

"The top Sentinel Event listed by JCAHO is reducing the risk of inpatient suicide.

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