§ 7 Rooms, animals, plants and waste

In detail

What § 7(2) to (4) QS-VO requires

• Animals in the practice are kept in a room set aside for them and have no access to treatment rooms QS-VO § 7(2).
• Assistance dogs must be allowed into counselling-therapy rooms and type-1 treatment rooms as defined in Annex 2 of the Hygiene Regulation QS-VO § 7(3).
• There must be no plants in treatment rooms QS-VO § 7(4). The Hygiene Regulation adds: no natural plants in rooms with contamination risk, and in other rooms only without soil Hygiene-V § 9(6).

Rooms and furnishings under the Hygiene Regulation

• All rooms are clean, well ventilated, well lit and tidy; furnishings are well kept and easy to clean § 8(1)–(2).
• Floors in the treatment area are as seamless as possible, liquid-tight and easy to clean. Carpets aren't allowed in rooms with contamination risk and regular patient contact, except dirt-trap mats at the entrance and carpet in audiometry rooms. Walls there are easy to clean up to about 2 m § 8(3)–(4).
• Store rooms are dry, dust-free and temperature-controlled where needed § 8(6).
• Treatment rooms with contamination risk have fixed hands-free dispensers for hand disinfectant, or touch-free sensor dispensers; depending on the services, Annex 2 applies too § 9(2).
• Disposable gloves and skin-care products are in stock; face masks, goggles and protective clothing are available when needed. Couches and seating have easy-to-clean surfaces § 9(4)–(5).
• If a needed adaptation is impossible or unreasonable for reasons you aren't responsible for, an alternative concept can be agreed with ÖQMED, confirmed by a hygiene expert § 9(8).

Waste

• Waste is collected as close as possible to where it arises § 22(1).
• Needles and other sharp or pointed objects go straight after use into puncture-proof, break-proof, liquid-tight, firmly closable, opaque containers. Full containers are closed and never reopened § 22(2).
• Waste containers are stored so that nobody else is endangered and misuse is ruled out; bins aren't emptied into other bins § 22(3).
• If hazardous waste regularly arises in clearly larger amounts than a household's, registration with the Environment Agency is required § 22(4).
• Medicines containing botulinum toxin are disposed of as their product information specifies § 22(5).