Pa. Code 709.34

Reporting of unusual incidents

This regulation requires Pennsylvania substance use disorder treatment projects (licensed under Chapter 709, which covers drug and alcohol treatment facilities) to develop and implement policies and procedures for responding to and reporting unusual incidents. Covered incidents include physical or sexual assault, illicit drug use on premises, deaths or serious injuries, facility disasters, theft, events requiring emergency personnel, structural damage, and contagious disease outbreaks. Facilities must document incidents, identify causes, implement corrective action plans, and file a written report with the Department within 3 business days for specified serious incidents.

28 Pa. Code § 709.34 - Reporting of unusual incidents 

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(a)
 The project shall develop and implement policies and procedures to respond to the following unusual incidents: 
(1)
 Physical assault or sexual assault by staff or a client.

(2)
 Selling or use of illicit drugs on the premises.

(3)
 Death or serious injury due to trauma, suicide, medication error or unusual circumstances while in residential treatment or, when known by facility, for ambulatory services.

(4)
 Significant disruption of services due to disaster such as fire, storm, flood or other occurrence which closes the facility for more than 1 day.

(5)
 Theft, burglary, break-in or similar incident at the facility.

(6)
 Event at the facility requiring the presence of police, fire or ambulance personnel.

(7)
 Fire or structural damage to the facility.

(8)
 Outbreak of a contagious disease requiring Centers for Disease Control (CDC) notification.

(b)
 Policies and procedures must include the following: 
(1)
 Documentation of the unusual incident.

(2)
 Prompt review and identification of the causes directly or indirectly responsible for the unusual incident.

(3)
 Implementation of a timely and appropriate corrective action plan, when indicated.

(4)
 Ongoing monitoring of the corrective action plan.

(5)
 Reporting mechanism to ensure that reporting of an unusual incident to an entity is in compliance with State and Federal confidentiality laws.

(c)
 To the extent permitted by State and Federal confidentiality laws, the project shall file a written unusual incident report with the Department within 3 business days following an unusual incident involving:
(1)
 Physical or sexual assault by staff or a client.

(2)
 Death or serious injury due to trauma, suicide, medication error or unusual circumstances.

(3)
 Significant disruption of services due to a disaster such as a fire, storm, flood or other occurrence that results in the closure of a facility for more than 1 day.

(4)
 Event at the facility requiring the presence of police, fire or ambulance personnel.

(5)
 Outbreak of a contagious disease requiring CDC notification.

Notes

28
 Pa. Code §
 
709.34

The
 provisions of this § 709.34 adopted October 17, 2014,
 effective 
10/18/2014
, 44 Pa.B.
 6660.

The provisions of this § 709.34 issued under section 2301-A
 of The Administrative Code of 1929 (
71 P. S. §
 
613.1
).

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