Facility Management Course NFPA 101 Code Flashcards
UL
Underwriters Laboratories - a safety consulting and certification company.
What Life Safety Code does the Air Force operate under?
Life Safety 2012
CMS
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services - Federal Agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services that administers the Medicare and works with state governments on Medicaid
NFPA 99
Compilation of healthcare related of hospital regulations in 1999. Before, all the regulation was found throughout in several regs.
Why is the door swing significant?
Egress doors must swing in the direction of egress (smoke doors exempt). In 1958, the fire of the Lady of Angels School in Chicago, the first person that went to open the door, was impeded by the crowd, and they died. The cause of death was the fire, but the indirect cause was the facility.
ANSI
American National Standards Institute - Non-Profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products.
FSES
Fire Safety Evaluation System
NFPA
National Fire Protection Association - a private association that creates and maintains standards for usage and adoption by local governments. It has no regulatory/legislative authority.
What is the goal of regulation?
To protect the life of the occupants. It is not to ensure absolute protection. It is the minimum standard.
AHJ
Authority Having Jurisdiction - Usually the Wing/CC
AAAHC
Triple AHC, Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. Accreditation of business and ambulatory occupancies.
Ambulatory Care
Health services provided on an outpatient basis to those who visit a hospital or another health care facility and depart after treatment on the same day. Healthcare operations cannot exceed 24 hours and treat four or more patients incapable of self-preservation.
Hospital
Must operate over 24 hours and treat 4 inpatients or more
What area of a clinic is susceptible to converting into a business occupancy to a ambulatory occupancy?
Dental Clinic
FSES equivalency vs. Traditional equivalency
FSES equivalency requires you to write the NFPA, but you have to technically write it out for the entire hospital, which is very time consuming. It also costs money to do this. Traditional requires the local authority and one more expert without invested interest to sign and approve the deviation. In the civilian world, this is a very expensive option.
If you make any modification on rated features of the hospital building, what must be done?
You have to get an evaluation from the Underwritten Laboratories. This is very expensive.
What is an example of how local policy can be onerous?
Chicago has over 40 different exit signs…you have to pick the correct one designated for the specific function of the exit sign.
Ambulatory
Occupancy is less than 24 hours, but there are 4 or more patients incapable of self-preservation. (Out-Patient)
Business
Occupancy is based on that all patients but 3 are capable of self -preservation and hospital operations are under 24 hours. (Out-Patient)
Is the AF under CMS jurisdiction?
No. Joint Commission will not apply CMS regulation to the AF.
Why is occupancy status important?
It drives regulation and associated costs. You have to declare the occupancy status of the different sections of the hospital to the JC surveyor.
When can you have a business occupancy and a ambulatory occupancy next to each other?
A fire wall must separate the two and the exits must be correct.
What is the definition of new construction?
If the final design approval is after the code is adopted.
What are the three pieces of an exit?
Exit Access (all doors leading out to the corridors and corridors between you and the exit door into the stairwell), the Exit (the stairwell), and the Exit Discharge (outside the last exit door leading to unobstructed path).
Interior Finish
Needs to have a flame spread information on file (this is any material that is 1/28th of an inch). (Paint and thin wall paper should be fine). It also must be used as its function intended (if the flame spread was tested horizontally, you can’t glue it to vertically to the wall).
Flame Spread Rating
Flame Spread Rating is the numeric value of burn rate relative to burning red oak. Red Oak Flame Spread rating is 100. All interior finish materials have a Flame Spread rating of 75 or less (in egress corridors).
How can you can deviate from the fire code?
You can request a waiver from the The designs have to be reevaluated every year.
What are some things that are intentionally ignored in Joint Commission and all regulations?
Elevators.
Can you decommission fire rated doors?
Yes. There is greater opportunity for inspection failure and greater maintenance costs.
In the eyes of the Joint Commission, which is more egregious: an nonoperational fire alarm or a practicing doctor without a current license?
Nonoperational fire alarm.
What does a foot candle mean?
The amount of illumination produced by a standard candle at a distance of one foot. (10.764 Lux)
How often do you have to have a fire drill?
Healthcare occupancy is once per shift per quarter. Business occupancy is once per shift per year. Areas that are more hazardous need to have greater frequency.
What are the consequences of a write-up during a CMS inspection?
Immediate loss of reimbursement.
What walls require fire retardant cock?
Only fire/smoke rated walls. Nominal walls do not require fire cock. It helps to clearly mark the walls Smoke or Fire.
Which rooms are excluded from rated door and wall requirements?
Restroom, bathing areas, nurse station, doctors chart room, sink closets.
Are door stops allowed?
No.
What is the undercut allowance of doors?
1 inch average for normal doors. No more than 5/8 of an inch on fire/smoke doors.
Should you be seeing any light or holes in a fire wall or smoke wall?
None!
Joint Commission has adopted which Life Safety Code?
Life Safety Code 2003, March 15, 2003
How much of a gap can be between double doors?
1/8 inch
What are considered hazardous areas and what are the measures to protect these areas?
Fuel-fired heater rooms, laundries ( >100 sq ft), repair shops, soiled linen rooms, trash collection rooms, storage rooms (sq ft matters), some laboratories. New construction requires 1 hour fire rated enclosure and sprinklers. Existing construction requires 1 hour fire enclosure or sprinklers.
What is the distance away from the sprinkler head that storage must be kept?
18 inches away from the sprinkler head.
Do smoke doors require positive self-latching mechanism?
No, but if they do have positive latching mechanisms, they have to work, or it will be a write-up. Every structure must function properly whether it is required or not. Fire doors always need to have self-latching mechanisms.
Is a smoke damper required when both zones on both sides have sprinklers?
Nope! If you have them…consider decommissioning them.
What is the rating of smoke doors?
20 minute door rating. This also applies to nominal walls as well.
What is an example of how tedious hospital building code can be?
The speed of door closure is regulated.
Fire door must have a how many latching mechanisms into the door frame and floor (not releasing mechanisms)?
Two. One on the top and the bottom.
ILSM
Interim Life Safety Measures
Will every code violation require a ILSM?
NO. If it affects patient safety (specifically involving the fire alarm, sprinkler system, exiting, penetrations)
When must a generator transfer power from primary to emergency?
10 seconds
EPSS
Emergency Power Supply system
What is the rating for the room with the generators?
2 hour and must be able to resist the entry of rain or snow
When do you have to test the generators?
You must test the generators 30% of their load monthly.
What does the EPSS provide power to?
Red outlets, exit lighting, and some procedural lighting.
What is the minimum height of the ceiling in a room? Stairwell?
7.5 feet in room. 6 feet 8 inches in stairwell.
How far can the handrail extend into the corridor?
3 5/8 inches, 38 inch level or lower from the floor.
