Safety matters: Guidelines on cardboard box storage

There are rules and regulations about using outside shipping containers and corrugated cardboard boxes for storage in certain areas. 

These containers and boxes may be used in:

• Office areas
• Shipping and Receiving
• Non-clinical areas
• Laboratory

Cardboard boxes may be used temporarily to transport items to/from loading docks but cannot be used to store items in:

• Patient care areas or hallways outside patient care areas
• Sterile and clean storage rooms
• Operating rooms/procedural areas
• Central Sterile Supply and instrument reprocessing areas
• Pharmacy, including cleanrooms
• Medication rooms

Inner boxes and boxes that provide stability or support for products are allowed but should be limited. These products include dialysate jugs, lab supplies, reagents, syringes, PPE or certain other medical supplies.

For more information visit Accreditation and Regulatory on the employee intranet.