Clothes Iron

Q: Our facility is a nursing home. I have been asked a question if a resident can have a clothes iron in their room? I said no and would check on it. What do you think?

A: While there is not a specific code or regulation preventing a nursing home resident to use a clothes iron, it does present a specific hazard since it can get very hot. If you allowed it, a surveyor could likely cite you for an unsafe environment, which does seem logical. But if you allowed the resident to use the clothes iron with supervision by one of your staff, that would seem to be acceptable (at least by me). Whatever you decide to do, you should have a policy and/or risk assessment on it.