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Rhode Island General Laws Title 23. Health and Safety § 23-17-49.1. Workplace and patient safety--Evacuation of surgical smoke plume required in operating rooms

Current as of January 01, 2026 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a) As used in this section, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) “Smoke-evacuation system” means smoke evacuators, laser plume evacuators, or local exhaust ventilators that capture and neutralize plume at the site of origin and before plume can make ocular contact or contact with the respiratory tract of employees.

(2) “Surgical smoke” means the by-product of use of energy-generating devices, including surgical plume, smoke plume, bio-aerosols, laser-generated airborne contaminants, and lung-damaging dust.

(b) In order to protect patient and health workers from the hazards of surgical smoke, each hospital and freestanding ambulatory surgical facility licensed in the state of Rhode Island pursuant to this chapter shall adopt policies to ensure the elimination of surgical smoke by use of a smoke-evacuation system for each procedure that generates surgical smoke from the use of energy-based devices such as, but not limited to, electrosurgery and lasers.

(c) Each hospital and freestanding ambulatory surgical center shall report to the department of health within ninety days (90) of the effective date of this act that policies pursuant to this section have been adopted.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Rhode Island General Laws Title 23. Health and Safety § 23-17-49.1. Workplace and patient safety--Evacuation of surgical smoke plume required in operating rooms - last updated January 01, 2026 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ri/title-23-health-and-safety/ri-gen-laws-sect-23-17-49-1/

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