New Safety Tray Precautions in Diet Orders
The following message is from Caitlin Hall, MS, RD, CNSC, Clinical Nutrition Director, Intermountain Health, Peaks Region
As of Dec. 15, 2026, new safety tray precautions in Peaks Region diet orders are now in effect. Previously, the Peaks Region had a single "high risk" safety tray option with fixed restrictions. Since the diet order change in February, we introduced more customizable safety tray options to better accommodate the needs of our patients.
However, we have observed some issues that I want to bring to your attention:
Safety tray precautions are often entered in the comments section instead of selecting a specific safety tray option. These comments do not interface with our meal ordering platform, which means restrictions have to be manually entered by Culinary caregivers. This is not an ideal practice as it increases the risk of comments being missed and patients receiving unsafe items. We see multiple SafetyNet events on this daily across the enterprise.
There is a high volume of "High Risk" safety trays being ordered in Peaks. This level of precaution is intended as a temporary measure until a provider can assess the patient or for those patients who genuinely need the highest level of safety. The "High Risk Safety Tray" is not modifiable and includes disposable serving items, no silverware, and finger foods only.
With the diet order change, we have introduced an additional option, which is a "Modified Safety Tray" option. This option offers greater flexibility to meet the specific needs of patients and includes several pre-selected restrictions to guide providers, with room for further customization. In the Peaks Region, we have purchased unbreakable melamine dishes and indestructible sporks, which are now available at all sites. These items have been well-received in the Canyons and Desert regions for the past five years and promote a significant improvement in food quality and patient satisfaction. I have attached a screenshot below of the precautions that are pre-selected in the Modified Safety Tray order. The unbreakable dishes option is now available to order (instead of the disposable option).
We encourage providers to select the "Modified Safety Tray" option when appropriate to enhance the quality of meals for patients during their stay:
One last important feature of the new diet order that enhances safety trays is the automatic maintenance of tray restrictions. When a provider orders safety restrictions, these remain in place regardless of changes to the therapeutic needs of the diet or if the patient transitions to NPO, until they are actively unselected. This design addresses the frequent issue of missed safety tray restrictions being reordered after diet changes or resumptions, ensuring consistent safety measures.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do to support education on safety tray ordering or if you have any questions.
Caitlin Hall MS, RD, CNSC
Clinical Nutrition Director
Intermountain Health, Peaks Region