(1) On or before May 1, 2021, each hospital with surgical services and each ambulatory surgical center, licensed in accordance with this article 3, shall adopt and implement a policy that prevents human exposure to surgical smoke via the use of a surgical smoke evacuation system during any planned surgical procedure that is likely to generate surgical smoke.
(2) As used in this section:
"Surgical smoke" means the gaseous by-product produced by energy-generating devices including surgical plume, smoke plume, bio-aerosols, laser-generated airborne contaminants, or lung-damaging dust.
"Surgical smoke evacuation system" means equipment designed to capture and neutralize surgical smoke at the point of origin and before the surgical smoke makes contact with the eyes or the respiratory tract of the occupants of a room.
Source: L. 2019: Entire section added, (HB 19-1041), ch. 62, p. 226, § 1, effective August 2.
Editor's note: Section 2 of chapter 62 (HB 19-1041), Session Laws of Colorado 2019, provides that the act adding this section applies to all surgical procedures in hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers performed on or after May 1, 2021.