I came across this earlier this week while making my rounds through the hospital. Some workers on the construction project had found a handy spot in the stairwell to leave a few items out of sight. They were doing a few things right. 1. They cleaned up after themselves and 2. They had a fire extinguisher handy. Other then that, what were they thinking! Storing items in a stairwell is a huge problem that violates the Life Safety Code (NFPA 101). Specifically it prohibits anything that has the potential to interfere with egress. Not to mention any possible ICRA concerns.
I quickly called the project superintendent and got everything moved. He then trained the workers again on the importance of working within the approved area, and being mindful of creating hazards to staff and patients.