NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care … Town Plaza, Suite 208 Durango, CO 81301 I 8/5/2009...

NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care Occupancies NFPA 101 and NFPA 5000 FIRST DRAFT MEETING AGENDA

Wednesday-Friday August 15-17, 2012 St. Louis Union Station Marriott

St. Louis, Missouri

1. Call to Order. Call meeting to order by Chair David Klein at 8:00 a.m. on August 15,

2012 at the St. Louis Union Station Marriott, St. Louis, MO.

2. Introduction of Committee Members and Guests. For a committee roster, see page 03.

3. Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes. Approve the October 19-20, 2010 meeting

minutes and the July 26, 2011 meeting minutes. See page 07.

4. The New Process Review. See page 17.

5. Health Care Summit Notes. See page 30.

6. TIA on Smoke Alarms for Spaces Open to Kitchen. See page 39.

7. Risk-Based Occupancy Task Group. John Rickard – Chair, Ken Bush, Mike Crowley, Buddy Dewar, David Hood, Tom Jaeger, Bill Koffel, Ben Pethe, Saundra Stevens.

8. Person-Directed / Person-Centered Care. (John Rickard)

9. Home Health Care Study (and Misc. Items). Ken Bush – Chair, Tom Jaeger, Pete Larrimer, and Saundra Stevens will report on the aforementioned topic and: Residential cooking and fireplace fire experience, and Monitor fire statistics related to UL 300 versus UL 300A kitchen systems

10. Antifreeze Sprinkler Systems Update. (Buddy Dewar) 11. Maximum Permitted Suite Size. (Mike Crowley)

12. FRTW Assemblies – Code Error. See page 46.

13. Laboratory Reference to NFPA 99 – Code Error. See page 48.

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14. Correlating Committee Wish List 2015 Edition. See page 49. 15. NFPA 101 and NFPA 5000 Correlation. Mike Crowley – Chair, Chad Beebe, Tom

Jaeger, Henry Kowalenko, Jim Lathrop and Dan O’Connor. Proposed changes submitted as Public Input and will be addressed below in Items 17 and 18.

16. Review of Core Chapters’ First Revisions. Drafts to be provided via separate distribution prior to meeting date.

17. NFPA 101 First Draft (formerly ROP) Preparation. For Public Input, see page 54.

18. NFPA 5000 First Draft (formerly ROP) Preparation. For Public Input, see page 127.

19. Other Business.

20. Future Meetings.

21. Adjournment.

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Address List No PhoneHealth Care Occupancies BLD-HEA

Building Code

Ron Coté07/02/2012

BLD-HEA

David P. Klein

ChairUS Department of Veterans Affairs810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 800Mail Code: (10NA8)Washington, DC 20420Alternate: Peter A. Larrimer

U 11/2/2006BLD-HEA

Ron Coté

Secretary (Staff-Nonvoting)National Fire Protection Association1 Batterymarch ParkQuincy, MA 02169-7471

1/1/1991

BLD-HEA

Kenneth E. Bush

PrincipalMaryland State Fire Marshals Office301 Bay Street, Lower LevelEaston, MD 21601International Fire Marshals Association

E 1/1/1978BLD-HEA

Wayne G. Carson

PrincipalCarson Associates, Inc.35 Horner Street, Suite 120Warrenton, VA 20186-3415

SE 1/1/1988

BLD-HEA

Michael A. Crowley

PrincipalThe RJA Group, Inc.Rolf Jensen & Associates, Inc.8827 West Sam Houston Parkway North, Suite 150Houston, TX 77040Alternate: William M. Dorfler

SE 1/1/1985BLD-HEA

Samuel S. Dannaway

PrincipalS. S. Dannaway Associates, Inc.720 Iwilei Road, Suite 412Honolulu, HI 96817-5316American Society of Safety Engineers

SE 1/16/2003

BLD-HEA

Buddy Dewar

PrincipalNational Fire Sprinkler Association, Inc.200 West College AvenueTallahassee, FL 32301

M 10/23/2003BLD-HEA

Alice L. Epstein

PrincipalCNA InsuranceTen Town Plaza, Suite 208Durango, CO 81301

I 8/5/2009

BLD-HEA

Douglas S. Erickson

PrincipalNorthstar Management Company10280 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 200St. Louis, MO 63127American Society for Healthcare EngineeringAlternate: Chad E. Beebe

U 1/1/1982BLD-HEA

John E. Fishbeck

PrincipalThe Joint CommissionOne Renaissance BoulevardOakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

E 4/1/1996

BLD-HEA

Gary Furdell

PrincipalState of FloridaAgency for Healthcare Administration4347 South Canal CircleNorth Fort Myers, FL 33903Alternate: James R. Stuckey

E 8/5/2009BLD-HEA

Michael O. Gencarelli

PrincipalUS Department of the NavyNAVFAC HQ: Medical Facilities Design Office (MDFO)1322 Patterson Avenue, Suite 1000Washington, DC 20374Alternate: Justin D. Reid

E 8/9/2011

1 of 184


Building Code

Ron Coté07/02/2012

BLD-HEA

Robert J. Harmeyer

PrincipalMSKTD & Associates930 North Meridian StreetIndianapolis, IN 46204American Institute of Architects

SE 10/20/2010BLD-HEA

Donald W. Harris

PrincipalCalifornia Office of Health Planning & DevelopmentFacilities Development Division1600 9th Street, Room 420Sacramento, CA 95814

E 7/12/2001

BLD-HEA

David R. Hood

PrincipalRussell Phillips & Associates, LLC500 Cross Keys Office ParkFairport, NY 14550-3507NFPA Health Care SectionAlternate: A. Richard Fasano

U 4/14/2005BLD-HEA

Richard M. Horeis

PrincipalHDR Architecture, Inc.8404 Indian Hills DriveOmaha, NE 68114

SE 10/20/2010

BLD-HEA

Thomas W. Jaeger

PrincipalJaeger and Associates, LLCPO Box 1291Middletown Springs, VT 05757American Health Care AssociationAlternate: Doug Beardsley

U 1/1/1978BLD-HEA

Henry Kowalenko

PrincipalIllinois Department of Public HealthOffice of Health Care Regulation525 West Jefferson Street, 4th FloorSpringfield, IL 62761

E 3/4/2009

BLD-HEA

James Merrill II

PrincipalUS Department of Health & Human ServicesCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)7500 Security Boulevard, M/S S2-12-25Balitmore, MD 21133US Dept. of Health & Human Services/CMSCMSAlternate: Kenneth Sun

E 3/2/2010BLD-HEA

Daniel J. O'Connor

PrincipalAon Fire Protection Engineering1000 Milwaukee Avenue, 5th FloorGlenview, IL 60025-2423

I 1/1/1991

BLD-HEA

Ben Pethe

PrincipalHealth Care Consultant3224 Fountain BoulevardTampa, FL 33609

SE 10/20/2010BLD-HEA

G. Brian Prediger

PrincipalU.S. Army Medical Command HeadquartersDirector, Facilities Engineering Division2748 Worth Road, Suite 22Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234Alternate: Philip J. Hoge

U 7/24/1997

BLD-HEA

John A. Rickard

PrincipalKatus, LLC5838 Balcones Drive, Suite BAustin, TX 78731-4206

SE 8/2/2010BLD-HEA

Richard Jay Roberts

PrincipalHoneywell Life Safety3825 Ohio AvenueSt. Charles, IL 60174Automatic Fire Alarm Association, Inc.

M 10/20/2010

2 of 184


Building Code

Ron Coté07/02/2012

BLD-HEA

Terry Schultz

PrincipalCode Consultants, Inc.2043 Woodland Parkway, Suite 300St. Louis, MO 63146-4235Alternate: James R. Ambrose

SE 7/23/2008BLD-HEA

Saundra J. Stevens

PrincipalAdams County Regional Medical Center230 Medical Center DriveSeaman, OH 45679

U 10/27/2009

BLD-HEA

Geza Szakats

PrincipalArup North America Ltd.560 Mission Street, 7th FloorSan Francisco, CA 94105

SE 8/2/2010BLD-HEA

Peter W. Tately

PrincipalSiemens Building Technologies927 Nottingham RoadPottstown, PA 19465

M 10/27/2009

BLD-HEA

Michael D. Widdekind

PrincipalZurich Services CorporationRisk Engineering112 Andrew CourtCentreville, MD 21617

I 1/14/2005BLD-HEA

Fred Worley

PrincipalTexas Department of Aging & Disability ServicesLong Term Care Regulatory DivisionPO Box 149030, Mail Code E-250Austin, TX 78757

E 03/05/2012

BLD-HEA

James R. Ambrose

AlternateCode Consultants, Inc.2043 Woodland Parkway, Suite 300St Louis, MO 63146-4235Principal: Terry Schultz

SE 1/1/1992BLD-HEA

Doug Beardsley

AlternateCare Providers of Minnesota7851 Metro Parkway, Suite 200Bloomington, MN 55425American Health Care AssociationPrincipal: Thomas W. Jaeger

U 7/23/2008

BLD-HEA

Chad E. Beebe

AlternateASHE - AHAPO Box 5756Lacey, WA 98509-5756American Society for Healthcare EngineeringPrincipal: Douglas S. Erickson

U 03/05/2012BLD-HEA

William M. Dorfler

AlternateThe RJA Group, Inc.Rolf Jensen & Associates, Inc.600 West Fulton Street, Suite 500Chicago, IL 60661-1241Principal: Michael A. Crowley

SE 3/15/2007

BLD-HEA

A. Richard Fasano

AlternateRussell Phillips & Associates Inc.8788 Elk Grove BoulevardBldg. 3, Suite 12-HElk Grove, CA 95624NFPA Health Care SectionPrincipal: David R. Hood

U 8/5/2009BLD-HEA

Philip J. Hoge

AlternateUS Army Corps of EngineersHumphreys Engineer CenterKingman Building, Suite 3MX7701 Telegraph RoadAlexandria, VA 22315-3813Principal: G. Brian Prediger

U 10/20/2010

3 of 184


Building Code

Ron Coté07/02/2012

BLD-HEA

Peter A. Larrimer

AlternateUS Department of Veterans Affairs323 North Shore Drive, Suite 400Pittsburgh, PA 15212Principal: David P. Klein

U 11/2/2006BLD-HEA

Justin D. Reid

AlternateUS Department of the NavyNAVFAC Atlantic6506 Hampton Blvd., Bldg. ANorfolk, VA 23508Principal: Michael O. Gencarelli

E 03/05/2012

BLD-HEA

James R. Stuckey

AlternateState of FloridaAgency for Healthcare Administration114 Tropicana DrivePunta Gorda, FL 33950-5020Principal: Gary Furdell

E 03/05/2012BLD-HEA

Kenneth Sun

AlternateUS Public Health ServiceCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)1600 Broadway, Suite 700Denver, CO 80202US Dept. of Health & Human Services/CMSCMSPrincipal: James Merrill II

E 3/2/2010

BLD-HEA

Pichaya Chantranuwat

Nonvoting MemberFusion Consultants Co. Ltd/Thailand81/55 Soi Phumijit, Rama 4 RoadPrakanong, KlontoeyBangkok, 10110 Thailand

SE 1/18/2001BLD-HEA

David M. Sine

Nonvoting MemberNational Center for Patient Safety209 West SummitAnn Arbor, MI 48103National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems

U 1/1/1989

BLD-HEA

Ron Coté

Staff LiaisonNational Fire Protection Association1 Batterymarch ParkQuincy, MA 02169-7471

1/1/1991

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BLD/SAF-HEA 10-2010 ROC Meeting Minutes / Page 1

ROP MEETING MINUTES

Building Construction – Life Safety Technical Committee on Health Care Occupancies

Tuesday-Wednesday, October 19-20, 2010 Hotel Monteleone New Orleans, LA

1. Call to Order.

The meeting was called to order by Chair David Klein at 8:00 a.m. on on Tuesday, October 19, 2010, at the Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans, LA.

2. Introduction of Committee Members and Guests.

The following committee members and guests were in attendance.

TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT

NAME REPRESENTING

David Klein, Chair US Department of Veterans Affairs

Ron Coté, Nonvoting Secretary NFPA

Kenneth Bush, Principal Maryland State Fire Marshals Office

Rep. International Fire Marshals Association

Michael Crowley, Principal

The RJA Group, Inc.

Samuel Dannaway, Principal S.S. Dannaway Associates, Inc. Rep. American Society of Safety Engineers

Buddy Dewar, Principal

National Fire Sprinkler Association

Alice Epstein, Principal CNA Insurance

Douglas Erickson, Principal American Society for Healthcare Engineering

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A. Richard Fasano (Alt. to D. Hood)

Russell Phillips & Associates Inc. Rep. NFPA Health Care Section

John Fishbeck, Principal The Joint Commission

Gary Furdell, Principal State of Florida, Agency for Healthcare Administration

David Hood, Principal Russell Phillips & Associates, LLC Rep. NFPA Health Care Section

Thomas Jaeger, Principal Jaeger & Associates, LLC Rep. American Health Care Association

Henry Kowalenko, Principal Illinois Department of Public Health

Peter Larrimer (Alt. to D. Klein)

US Department of Veterans Affairs

James Merrill, Principal US Department of Health and Human Services

Daniel O’Connor, Principal Aon Fire Protection Engineering Corporation

G. Brian Prediger, Principal

US Department of the Army

John Rickard, Principal Olicon Design

Terry Schultz (Alt. to J. Ambrose)

Code Consultants, Inc.

David Sine (Non-voting Member)

National Center for Patient Safety Rep. National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems

Saundra Stevens, Principal Adams County Regional Medical Center

Kenneth Sun US Public Health Service (Alternate to J. Merrill)

Geza Szakats, Principal Arup North America Ltd.

Michael Widdekind, Principal Zurich Services Corporation

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GUESTS

NAME REPRESENTING

Chad Beebe Washington State Department of Health

Amy Carpenter Wallace, Roberts & Todd

Marty Farraher Siemens

Robert Fuller EVIS

Phil Jose P.R. Jose & Associates

Bonnie Kantor Pioneer Network Masoud Sabounchi

Advanced Consulting Engineering

TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS NOT PRESENT NAME REPRESENTING

Wayne Carson, Principal Carson Associates, Inc.

Donald Harris, Principal California Office of Health Planning

& Development

George Stevens, Principal

US Department of Health & Human Services/Indian Health Services

Peter Tately, Principal Siemens Building Technologies

3. Approval of Minutes. The minutes of the December 10-11, 2009 meeting were approved as written and distributed.

4. The Revision Process.

Staff addressed the actions that the committee could take at the ROC meeting; described the “e-mail” letter ballot for recording the written vote on the committee actions on the comments; and highlighted significant changes made to the core chapters during the ROC meetings held two weeks earlier.

5. Defining AHC “Outpatient”. Drop subject from agenda.

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6. Smoke Barrier Door Latching.

Subject addressed by Comment 101-226a and 101-258a.

7. Corridor Clutter Task Group. The task group (consisting of Tom Jaeger – Chair, Ken Bush, Amy Carpenter, Buddy Dewar, David Hood, Bill Koffel, Brian Prediger, and David Sine) reported. The issue was addressed via the action on the public comments. The task group was discharged. See Comments 101-188 through 101-191.

8. Closet Sprinkler Exemption. Issue addressed via Comment 101-217.

9. Health Care Summit – Subjects Identified.

Retain subject on agenda. Republish staff notes from health care summit in agenda for next meeting.

10. NFPA 101 ROC Preparation.

All comments were addressed. See the ROC letter ballot.

11. NFPA 5000 ROC Preparation.

All comments were addressed. See the ROC letter ballot.

12. Other Business. Correlation of NFPA 101/5000 Provisions. A task group was formed to address needed correlation between NFPA 101 Chapters 18-21 and NFPA 5000 Chapters 19-20 as many changes made to NFPA 101 have not been made to NFPA 5000. The task group includes Mike Crowley – Chair, Chad Beebe, Tom Jaeger, Henry Kowalenko, Jim Lathrop, and Dan O’Connor. Retain subject on agenda. ABHR. The committee generated and accepted Comment 101-211a to exempt limited alcohol-based hand-rub dispensers in patient/resident rooms from being included in the maximum permitted aggregate quantity.

13. Future Meetings.

The committee asked to meet in a special 1.5-day, pre-ROP meeting in October 2011 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with task groups to meet the previous day. The committee will need to meet in the Fall of 2012 to prepare the Reports on Proposals (ROPs) for the 2015 editions of NFPA 101 and NFPA 5000. The committee asked that the ROP meeting be scheduled for 1.5 days with adjournment planned for noon on the second day.

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14. Adjournment.

On Tuesday, October 19 the meeting was recessed at 5:35 PM. On Wednesday, October 20 the meeting was recovened at 8:00 AM and adjourned at 11:25 AM.

Minutes prepared by Ron Coté and Linda MacKay

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MINUTES

NFPA Life Safety Technical Committee on Health Care Occupancies July 26, 2011 Pre-ROP Planning Teleconference

1. Call to Order.

The meeting was called to order by Chair David Klein at 1:00 p.m. on July 26, 2011 via teleconference.

2. Roll Call of Committee Members.

The following Committee Members participated in the teleconference: Technical Committee Members Who Participated: NAME

REPRESENTING

David Klein, Chair US Department of Veterans Affairs Ron Coté, Nonvoting Secretary NFPA James Ambrose, Principal Code Consultants, Inc. Kenneth Bush, Principal Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office

Rep. International Fire Marshals Association

Michael Crowley, Principal The RJA Group, Inc.

Buddy Dewar, Principal National Fire Sprinkler Association, Inc.

Alice Epstein, Principal CNA Insurance

David Hood, Principal Russell Phillips & Associates, LLC

Phillip Hoge, Alternate (to Brian Prediger)

US Army Corps of Engineers

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Richard Horeis, Principal HDR Architecture, Inc.

Thomas Jaeger, Principal Jaeger and Associates, LLC

Rep. American Health Care Association

William Koffel, Alternate (to Doug Erickson)

Koffel Associates, Inc.

Peter Larrimer. Alternate (to David Klein)

US Department of Veterans Affairs

James Merrill, Principal

US Department of Health and Human Services/ CMS

Daniel O’Connor, Principal

Aon Fire Protection Engineering

Ben Pethe, Principal Health Care Consultant

John Rickard, Principal Olicon Design

Richard Roberts, Principal Honeywell Life Safety Rep. Automatic Fire Alarm Association, Inc.

Terry Schultz, Alternate (to Jim Ambrose)

Code Consultants, Inc.

Saundra Stevens, Principal Adams County Regional Medical Center

Geza Szakats, Principal

Arup North America Ltd.

Peter Tately, Principal

Siemens Building Technologies

Technical Committee Members Who Did Not Participate: NAME

REPRESENTING

Wayne (Chip) Carson, Principal

Carson Associates, Inc.

Samuel Dannaway, Principal S.S. Dannaway Associates, Inc. Rep. American Society of Safety Engineers

John Fishbeck, Principal

The Joint Commission

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Gary Furdell, Principal State of Florida – Agency for Healthcare Administration

Robert Harmeyer, Principal

MSKTD & Associates Rep. American Institute of Architects

Donald Harris, Principal

California Office of Health, Planning & Development Facilities Development Division

Henry Kowalenko, Principal Illinois Department of Public Health

George Stevens, Principal

US Department of Health and Human Services/IHS

Michael Widdekind, Principal Zurich Services Corporation

3. Reviewing Short- and Long-Term Action Items from July 2010 Health Care Summit. A. Revising NFPA 101 to Reflect Risk-Based Approach. Thoughts expressed: The committee is concerned with the line between limited care facilities and residential board and care (B&C). Should address the transition where resident’s needs change. State licensure currently dictates that bed ridden imposes health care requirements. Licensure follows common set of rules in all 50 states for hospitals and nursing homes, but not for B&C. Need to avoid creating conflicts with licensure groups. Evacuation capability dictates when changes in B&C are needed. NFPA 99’s recent changes are related to risk to patient. When is a “doctor-in-a-box” (i.e., WalMart clinic) ambulatory health care (AHC) and when is it a business occupancy? The committee agreed to work toward defining occupancies relative to patient/resident needs rather than the surroundings of the building. The related task group should include providers, advocates and clinicians. The task group also received responsibility for the separate subject of health care in retail spaces. Risk-Based Occupancy Task Group formed: John Rickard – Chair, Ken Bush, Mike Crowley, Buddy Dewar, David Hood, Tom Jaeger, Bill Koffel, Ben Pethe, Saundra Stevens, to-be-named rep from B&C TC (SAF-BCF), and a provider (to be identified by Tom Jaeger). B. Person-Directed / Person-Centered Care. John Rickard agreed to serve as a task group of one to identify code issues related to person-directed / person-centered care before asking for a summit presentation on the subject. John offered that he would work to convene the right people for a teleconference discussion of the subject.

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C. Permitting Fire Safety Risk to Increase in Order to Better the Quality of Life. Thoughts expressed: Some of the changes made for NFPA 101-2012 do slightly increase the risk to occupants as an accommodation to better quality of life. It is not the committee’s job to promote home health care, but to establish guidelines for proper care. Should NFPA write a home health care standard? There’s probably not enough public interest for a new document. The committee agreed to monitor the subject so as to be able to recognize additional home health care that is promoted by others; and to react by writing needed requirements. The monitoring should take the form of seeking out providers; asking what is being done; asking what care is being provided; asking where the care is being provided; and asking what is coming for the future. Alice Epstein provided two documents: Health Care Comes Home: The Human Factors, and State Operators Manual – Guide to Surveyors: Home Health Agencies. The documents appear as attachments to these minutes. Home Health Care Study (and Misc. Items) Task Group formed: Ken Bush – Chair, Tom Jaeger, Pete Larrimer, and Saundra Stevens (John Rickard to assist as able). The task group was also asked to look at the residential cooking and fireplace fire experience; and available reports for open kitchen fires in long term facilities. The task group was asked to monitor fire statistics, in coming years, related to UL 300 versus UL 300A kitchen systems. As possible, the task group was asked to prod UL to finalize its UL 300A investigative report into a standard. D. Changes in Cooking Risks as a Person’s Abilities Change.

The committee agreed that the subject is a clinical issue that is not related to the physical plant. E. Antifreeze Sprinkler Systems.

The committee asked if it needs to be concerned about the use of antifreeze solutions in health care occupancy NFPA 13 sprinkler systems given the recent FPRF work on antifreeze solutions in residential sprinkler systems. Buddy Dewar offered to work through Russ Fleming of NFSA to learn what is being done to address NFPA 13 systems.

4. New Issue – Maximum Permitted Suite Size.

Mike Crowley asked that the committee address increasing the allowable size of required smoke compartments. The allowable size of sleeping suites was increased in NFPA 101-2012 from 7500 ft2 to 10,000 ft2. The committee took no action. Mike agreed to study and monitor the subject.

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5. NFPA 101 and NFPA 5000 Correlation.

Mike Crowley, chair of the task group on correlation of NFPA 101 and NFPA 5000 requirements for health care and ambulatory health care occupancies, advised that he will convene the task group via teleconference. Not all changes made to NFPA 101 Chapters 18–22 appear in NFPA 5000 Chapters 19-20.

6. Next Meeting. The committee expressed interest in participating in another Health Care Summit. There was agreement that a March-April 2012 timeframe would work well. The committee asked that the summit date avoid: March 5 (NFPA Board of Directors Meeting), April 8 Easter period including the week prior, and April 6-14 Passover period. The committee asked that a pre-ROP meeting be held to follow the 2012 Summit. Task groups would meet in the morning of the day after the summit; the full committee would convene in the afternoon.

7. Adjournment.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:45 p.m. Attachments: Health Care Comes Home: The Human Factors State Operators Manual – Guide to Surveyors: Home Health Agencies

Minutes Prepared by Ron Coté and Linda MacKay

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NFPA 101/5000 First Draft (Public Input) Meeting

Page 1

Health Care Occupancies1

NFPA 101 / 5000

First Draft (Public Input)

Technical Committee MeetingTechnical Committee Meeting

Meeting General Guidelines

Fire Safety – If alarm sounds…

Members please make changes to your contact

2

Members, please make changes to your contact information on roster sheets accompanying the sign-in list

Use of tape recorders or other means capable of reproducing verbatim transcriptions of this meeting is not permittedp

Guests…

Members representing another interest category…

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Page 2

NFPA First Draft Meeting

General Procedures

33

oFollow Robert’s Rules of Order.

oDiscussion requires a motion.

Motions for Ending Debate Previous Question or “Call the Question”

NFPA First Draft Meeting4

Call the Questiono Not in order when another has the floor

o Requires a second

o This motion is not debatable and DOES NOT automatically stop debate

o A 2/3 affirmative vote will immediately close debate and return to the original motion on the floor. Less then 2/3 will allow debate to continue.

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Page 3

NFPA First Draft Meeting

Committee member actions:

5

o Member addresses the chair.

o Receives recognition from the chair.

o Introduces the motion.

o Another member seconds the motion.

Committee chair actions:

NFPA First Draft Meeting6

o States the motion.

o Calls for discussion.

o Ensures all issues have been heard.

o Takes the vote.

o Announces the result of the vote.

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Page 4

NFPA First Draft Meetings

Technical Committee on Health Care Occupancies (29)

7

(29) Enforcers, 8 Members: 28%

Insurance, 3 Members: 10%

Manufacturers, 3 Members: 10%

Special Experts, 9 Members: 31%

Users, 6 Members: 21%

NFPA 101/NFPA 5000 – New Process

Timeline Public Input Stage (First Draft):

8

Public Input Stage (First Draft): PI Closing Date: May 4, 2012 First Draft Meeting:

Core Chapters: May 21-25, 2012 Occupancy Chapters: August 12-16, 2012 Correlating Committees: November 5-7, 2012

Posting of First Draft for Balloting Date: Varies by TC Posting of First Draft for Public Comment: February 22, 2013

Comment Stage (Second Draft): Public Comment Closing Date: May 3 2013 Public Comment Closing Date: May 3, 2013 Second Draft Meeting:

Core Chapters: May 20-23, 2013 Occupancy Chapters: June 24-27, 2013 Correlating Committees: October, 2013

Posting of Second Draft for Balloting Date: Varies by TC Posting of Final Second Draft for NITMAM: January 3, 2014

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Page 5

NFPA 101/NFPA 5000 – New Process

Timeline

9

Tech Session Preparation:NITMAM Closing Date: February 7, 2014NITMAM /CAM Posting Date: April 4, 2014NFPA Annual Meeting: June 9-12, 2014

Standards Council Issuance:I f D t ith CAM A t 14 Issuance of Documents with CAM: August 14, 2014 with 2015 edition date

NFPA 101/NFPA 5000 New Process – Terms

Changes in Terms:

10

New Term Old Term

Input Stage ROP Stage

Public Input Proposal

First Draft Meeting ROP Meeting

Committee InputCommittee Proposal that Failed

Ballot or “Trial Balloon”

Committee Statement (CS) Committee StatementCommittee Statement (CS) Committee Statement

First Revision (FR)Committee Proposal or Accepted

Public Proposal

First Draft Report ROP

First Draft ROP Draft

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Page 6

NFPA 101/NFPA 5000 New Process – Terms

Changes in Terms:

11

New Term Old Term

Comment Stage ROC Stage

Public Comment Public Comment

Second Draft Meeting ROC Meeting

Committee CommentCommittee Comment that Failed

Ballot or “Trial Balloon”

Committee Comment or AcceptedSecond Revision

Committee Comment or Accepted Public Comment

Second Draft Report ROC

Second Draft ROC Draft

NFPA 101/NFPA 5000 New Process – Actions

NEW Committee Actions and Motions:

12

o Resolve Public Input

o Create a First Revision

o Create a Committee Input (Trial Balloon)

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Page 7


• Resolve a Public Input (No Change to Text):

13

o Committee does not want to incorporate the Public Input (PI) as a revision.

o Committee develops a Committee Statement (CS) to respond to (resolve) a Public Input.

o Committee must indicate, in CS, reasons for not ti th d ti ( Slid 16)accepting the recommendation (more on Slide 16).

o CS does not get balloted.


• Create a First Revision (FR)

14

o Committee details the change (in legislative text) it is making to current document.

o Committee develops a Committee Statement (CS) substantiating the change.

o If the revision is associated with one or more P bli I t th C itt d l CS tPublic Input, the Committee develops a CS to respond to each PI.

o Each FR gets balloted.

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Page 8


• Create a Committee Input (Trial B ll )

15

Balloon)o Committee wants to receive Public Comment on a

topic, but not ready to incorporate it into the draft.

o Need to provide a Committee Statement.

o Does not get balloted.


Committee Response (CS) to Public Input:

All PI t i (CS)

16

o All PI must receive a response (CS).

o Advise submitter of flaws.

o Provide reasons why committee disagreed.

o Provide direction relative to refinement needed for securing committee’s supportneeded for securing committee’s support.

o Explain how the submitter’s substantiation is inadequate.

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Page 9


Committee Response (CS) to Public Input:

Sh ld f th Fi t R i i if it

17

o Should reference the First Revision if it addresses the intent of the Submitter’s Public Input.

NFPA 101/NFPA 5000 New Process – Voting

Formal voting

18

o Voting during meeting is used to establish a sense of agreement (simple majority), and move First Revisions to letter ballot.

o Secured by letter ballot (2/3 agreement).

Only the results of the formal balloto Only the results of the formal ballot determine the official position of the committee on the First Draft.

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Page 10


Ballots are on the First Revisions (FR) ONLY Public Input and Committee Input not balloted

19

Public Input and Committee Input not balloted Reference materials are available:

First Draft, PI, CI, CS

Ballot form allows you to vote: o Affirmative on all FRo Affirmative on all FR with exceptions specifically noted

Ballot form provides a column for affirmative Ballot form provides a column for affirmative with commento Note: This box only needs to be checked if there is an

accompanying comment.

Reject or abstain requires a reason.


Initial ballot

20

Initial ballot.Circulation of negatives and comments.Members may change votes during

circulation. First Revision that fails letter ballot

becomes Committee Input (CI) – just like the trial balloon version of CI – so as to solicit Public Comment.

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Page 11


Balloting

Balloting will be web based on line format

21

o Balloting will be web-based, on-line format.

o Alternates encouraged to return ballots.

TC Struggles with an Issue

Code Fund Lends a Hand

Research Project Carried Out

22

with an Issue

• TC needs data on a new technology or emerging issue

• Two opposing views on an issue with no real data

a Hand

• TC rep and/or staff liaison submits a Code Fund Request

• Requests are reviewed by a Panel and chosen based

Carried Out

• Funding for project is provided by the Code Fund and/or industry sponsors

• Project is completed real data

• Data presented is not trusted by committee

chosen based on need / feasibility

completed and data is available to TC

www.nfpa.org/codefund

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Page 12

Legal

Antitrust: the single most important provision-Federal law prohibits contracts combinations

23

Federal law prohibits contracts, combinations, or conspiracies which unreasonably restrain trade or commerce. Section 1 of the Sherman Act

Patent: Disclosures of essential patent claims should be made by the patent holder, but others may also notify NFPA if they believe that a y y yproposed or existing NFPA standard includes an essential patent claim.

Legal

Activities Disapproved by the CourtsP ki ti

24

Packing meetings

Hiding commercial interest throwing the committees out of balance

No decision-making authority to unbalanced Task Groups; include all interested parties.

Hiding scientific or technical information from committees

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Page 13

Doc Info Pages

Document Information Next Edition Technical Committee

25

• Document scope• Current/Previous

Edition information• Issued TIAs, FIs and

Errata• Archived revision

information• Standard Council

Decisions

• Meetings and Ballots• ROP/ROC or First

Draft Report and Second Draft Report

• NITMAM and Standards Council Decisions

• Submission of Public Input/Comment

f

• Committee name, responsibility and scope

• Staff liaison• Committee list

• Private committee contact information

• Current committee documents in PDF f• Articles and Reports

• Read only document• Private TC info –

Ballot circulations, informational ballots and other committee info

format• Committees seeking

members and committee online application

NFPA First Draft Meetings26

Questions

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1

Cote, Ron

From: Almand, KathleenSent: Wednesday, June 06, 2012 9:06 AMTo: chad beeby; Cote, Ron; dave klein; george mills; james merrill; Solomon, Robert; tom jaegerSubject: Health care summit proceedings

Program committee members – just a note to let you know that the final proceedings have been posted at the link below. Thank you for all that you have done to create an excellent program; I look forward to working with you again in the future. http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=2328&itemID=54103&URL=Research/Fire%20Protection%20Research%20Foundation/Reports%20and%20proceedings/Proceedings Kathleen.

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MINUTES Technical Discussions Meeting

Following the National Trends in Delivery of Health and Long Term Care

Symposium March 28, 2012

Baltimore, Maryland

1. Attendees.

NAME COMPANY / ORGANIZATION TC on

BCF TC on HEA

Guest

Kathleen Almand NFPA Fire Protection Research Foundation

x

Chad Beebe American Society for Healthcare Engineering

x

Warren Bonisch Aon/Schirmer Engineering Corporation

x

Harry Bradley Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office

x

Kenneth Bush Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office -Rep. International Fire

Marshals Association

x

Richard T. Byrd TN Department of Health x Amy Carpenter Lenhardt Rodgers / Pioneer

Network x

Maggie Calkins Pioneer Network / IDEAS x Martin Casey Centers for Medicare &

Medicaid Services x

Ron Coté NFPA x Samuel

Dannaway S. S. Dannaway Associates,

Inc. x

Buddy Dewar National Fire Sprinkler Association, Inc.

x

William Dorfler Rolf Jensen & Associates x Mitch Elliott Vetter Health Services, Inc. x

Alice Epstein CNA Insurance x John Fishbeck The Joint Commission x

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Mike Gencarelli Naval Facilities – Medical x Skip Gregory Health Facility Consulting x

Robert Harmeyer MSKTD & Associates Rep. American Institute of

Architects

x

David Hood Russell Phillips & Associates, LLC

x

Richard Horeis HDR Architecture x Thomas Jaeger Jaeger and Associates, LLC

Rep. American Health Care Association

x

Adam Jones Buechel Fire Protection District x Amanda Kimball NFPA Fire Protection Research

Foundation x

David P. Klein US Department of Veterans Affairs

x

William Koffel Koffel Associates, Inc. x Henry Kowalenko Illinois Department of Public

Health x x

David Kyllo National Center for Assisted Living

x

Cathy Lieblich Pioneer Network x Robert Mayer Rothschild Foundation x

James Merrill II Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

x

Daniel Nichols State of New York, Department of State

x

Jim Peterson Heery International x Dan Purgiel LRS Architects / ALFA x

John Rickard Katus, LLC x Richard Roberts Honeywell / AFAA x

Terry Schultz CCI x x Robert Solomon NFPA x Mitchell Stenoff,

AIA Kettor Health Services, SAGE,

NFPA HOS Board x

Saundra Stevens Adams County Regional Medical Center

x

Eunice Noell-Waggoner

Center of Design for an Aging Society

x

Michael Widdekind

Zurich Services Corporation x

Fred Worley TX Department Aging & Disability Services

x x

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2. Notes from Health Care Group Breakout Session (as recorded by Kathleen Almand) a. CMS Issues

- Moving to adopt 2012 LSC – no definite timeline - Note letter issued related to culture change is also applicable to hospitals - Working on other letters/guidance on 2012 LSC and other documents - Note legal and other regulatory constraints - Interests: terminology clarification, lighting - Note sprinkler requirement deadline for nursing homes is 8/13; expect 95% compliance - Open to the concept of a pilot case study of construction under the 2012 LSC

b. Pioneer Network Concepts

1) Corridors – task group – chair Ken, Mike, Amy, Bill

- permit p/t and o/t treatment rooms open to corridors (don’t have hazardous materials)

- are eight foot corridors always required

- define a corridor – is it a physical separation, is it a clear egress path, use the suite concept?

- note concern re physical separation was min square footage for dining and deficient smoke barriers

2) Cooking Activities

in Nursing home p/T and o/t treatment areas

- does the definition of limited cooking include conventional kitchen range

- what is the MAQ for cooking oil – related to grease laden vapor acceptability

- existing facilities – use of portable electric tabletop cooking equipment which is not flue connected – permit removal of requirement for separation from the corridor

In 18.3.2.5.5

– clarify whether the kitchen is permitted to be open to the corridor in the presence of a Type A hood

- clarify language on detectors and smoke alarms – minimum and maximum distance from the cooking appliance and whether it can be outside the kitchen-

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consider TIA - Task group – Tom Jaeger (chair), Alice, Mike, Amy, Richard Roberts

3) Egress Doors

- permit decoration or concealment – still marked so visible for staff; either locked or unlocked; within clinical area

- clarify what doors do NOT need to be 41 1/2'” clear (ie those other than bedrooms)

4) Sprinkler tradeoffs for type of construction

- type 3.2.1?? – 2 story unprotected; type 5 1 story unprotected, 2 story protected

- consider a footprint limitation or use of fire barriers

- travel distance extension possibilities?

c. Home based Health Care – potentially consider a risk based approach, e.g., the 99 approach

d. Noise Issues – fire alarm – pre-notification to staff prior to general notification to minimize resident distress – it is currently possible to do this with fire alarms and sprinkler water flow alarms. Delayed egress lock alarms don’t have this capability but in the 2009 edition of the code, this type of system is not required if smoke detection is present. Also possible to use magnetic type locks. Pull station positioning can help minimize the occurrence of false alarms or undue distress. Private notification with pagers is also an option in some situations.

e. Lighting – normal and emergency modes, contrast – refer the contrast issue to chapter 7 of the LSC

f. Temporary Medical structures – eg tents, military – note in the fire code there is a maximum time period specified for a temporary structure

g. Terminology – defn of nursing home – a continuing issue, consider a risk based approach - no action

h. Aging services – mixed care and residents in a single structure – consider risk based approach – no action

i. Increased use of robots and scooters – charging facilities hazards, emergency role and hazards, storage hazards – no actions

j. Tele-medicine – implications for life safety code? – no issues

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k. Retail health care centers - as doctor’s offices, not in this committee’s jurisdiction

l. Bariatric evacuation issues – no action

m. Non fire emergencies – space planning, patient protection – fenestration is a concern – a building code issue

n. Combustible decorations/furnishings – Pioneer representatives to bring proposals back to the committee to address a a way to define MAQ

o. Intersection of LSC and FGI guidelines – no issues

p. Ambulatory Health Care Provisions – revise editorially to make them stand alone chapters independent of the business chapter and bring up appendix material – Ron Cote to develop for committee consideration

3. Notes from Residential Board and Care Group Breakout Session (as

recorded by Amanda Kimball)

• Proposal to split I-1 and R-4 in IBC o Review these changes (G-31) and substantiation o Put together work group – Dan Purgiel to lead work group – John and

Adam also on work group • Assisted living vs board and care terminology

o Rename board and care chapter to assisted living? Also, have “residential care” – differences regionally Developmental disability home not assisted living Board and care is general terminology that can cover residential

care, assisted living, group homes 2012 IBC switched personal care to custodial care (not viewed

favorably by disabled community) Most states use some sort of derivation of personal care No consensus to change name

o Should chapter be split into tiers? Residential setting, Middle ground, health care What envelope requirements needed? Have moved away from

tiers. Biggest issues are sprinklers and smoke detection. Are we unhappy with the level of safety provided by code currently?

• NFPA 13 vs 13R systems • Fire analysis and research division do annual sprinkler report

to address when sprinklers do not activate, etc

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• University of MD report suggests need both sprinklers and smoke detection

Age in place What about construction type? Use of wood frame construction. Defend in place vs full evacuation

• Risk of injury from evacuation drills • Staged evacuation – new term • Always have a resident or two that will not be capable of self

evacuation • Travel distance = evacuation time – shrink smoke

compartment? May be better delineate when go to health care (applies to all

facilities) All states have licensing reqs, but under different names

• Commonly say that you need to provide sufficient staff for acuity level

• Board and care chapter used to have staffing ratios • Keeping general is best

Is there a need to differentiate between skilled nursing and assisted living?

• Need to codify defend in place • Main difference is number of stories allowed for wood frame

construction • CMS recognizes skilled nursing, but not assisted living (do

regulate IFCMRs) o Maintain status quo for name

Maybe address nursing at some point Alzheimer’s facilities (memory care units) – can build under board

and care – often connected to assisted living Focus on level of protection: sprinklers, smoke detection,

compartmentation Managed care is changing – dynamics changing on both provider

and regulatory sides – changing in every state • Evacuation times

o Take impact of smoke detection on evacuation times into consideration (NIST, U of MD studies)

• Smoke detection o New requirements in NFPA 72 on placement of detectors to reduce

nuisance alarms (from cooking, etc) – add these to NFPA 101 (instead of just referencing 72)

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• CO detection o May want to add requirements for CO detection – voted down during last

cycle o Residential chapter has requirements (10 ft of each sleeping room and on

each level) • Personal care

o Definition of incapable o Clarify personal care somewhere in the code (may be in appendix or

handbook) o What constitutes long term care services?

Nursing care eligible different state by state Oregon, Washington – high Medicaid involvement in assisted living

(have to be nursing home eligible) – Medicaid will pay for services (not room and board unless nursing home)

ADLs, medication, and some other health care oversight o On-going nursing care

Most states address it, but define it by “intermittent care” – not clear what this means

o Assisted living is middle class o Difficult for an AHJ to evaluate how much care patients are getting in

terms of evacuation capability o NFPA 101 has applied main uses to board and care

• Private entities purchasing single family dwellings and putting in three people (fall under four, so no regulation)

o In Kentucky – proposals to sprinkler these dwellings • Consideration of smoke compartment size • Furniture in corridors (conflicts) • Lighting

o Low level lighting and emergency lights • ADA conflicts (one in chapter 32) • Emergency lighting levels

o Adjust lighting levels up from 1cd? (since such a major change from 30cd and difficult for aged eyes to adjust to)

o Issues with emergency lighting levels meeting code reqs o Beyond scope of board and care group, but could send information

forward to fundamental groups (means of egress, Chapter 7) Apply to all occupancies? Or just to board and care and

healthcare? Have Eunice help write annex language

o Emergency lighting not req’d in small facilities

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• Memory care units o Locking doors

Delayed egress modified for nursing homes • Worked well with full sprinkler and smoke protection

Oregon special locking arrangement (small R-4/board and care modified to include full sprinklers)

• Need 24 hour staff in compartment or on that floor Electro magnetic locking Include in board and care and in healthcare chapters Work group to develop language for public input in August – led by

Harry (with John and Dan Purgiel) o Memory care units - Secondary means of escape is required in small (16

and under) Use of windows – prohibit from opening by resident Do not require secondary means of escape where security issue In NY, lock windows in substance abuse facilities, etc Need other appropriate protection

• Full sprinkler protection? - Just apply to new construction? - could apply to existing too (extend 13R to attic)

• Can you get to 13 system from 13R? Yes, should be able to • Chapter 32 spells out 13, 13R, or 13D system • Smoke detection?

Exception to 32.2.2.3.1 John to develop proposal

• Pre-notification of alarm (esp in memory care units) o Apply pre-notification reqs from health care to apply to board and care (inc

in NFPA 72 – in AHJs hands) o Needs to be to a constantly attended location – is this available in board

and care facilities? o Fire alarm systems are capable

• Kitchens open to corridor – need commercial hood in assisted living

• Changes in capability of residents – no req for on-going evaluations

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NFPA 101®‐2012, Life Safety Code®

Revise 18.3.2.5.3 (11) – (12), 19.3.2.5.3 (11) – (13), and associated advisory annex as follows:

Chapter 18 New Health Care Occupancies Chapter 19 Existing Health Care Occupancies

18.3.2.5.3* Within a smoke compartment, where residential or commercial cooking equipment is used to prepare meals for 30 or fewer persons, one cooking facility shall be permitted to be open to the corridor, provided that all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The portion of the health care facility served by the cooking facility is limited to 30 beds and is separated from other portions of the health care facility by a smoke barrier constructed in accordance with 18.3.7.3, 18.3.7.6, and 18.3.7.8.

(2) The cooktop or range is equipped with a range hood of a width at least equal to the width of the cooking surface, with grease baffles or other grease‐collecting and clean‐out capability.

(3)* The hood systems have a minimum airflow of 500 cfm (14,000 L/min).

(4) The hood systems that are not ducted to the exterior additionally have a charcoal filter to remove smoke and odor.

(5) The cooktop or range complies with all of the following:

(a) The cooktop or range is protected with a fire suppression system listed in accordance with UL 300, Standard for Fire Testing of Fire Extinguishing Systems for Protection of Commercial

19.3.2.5.3* Within a smoke compartment, where residential or commercial cooking equipment is used to prepare meals for 30 or fewer persons, one cooking facility shall be permitted to be open to the corridor, provided that all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The portion of the health care facility served by the cooking facility is limited to 30 beds and is separated from other portions of the health care facility by a smoke barrier constructed in accordance with 19.3.7.3, 19.3.7.6, and 19.3.7.8.

(2) The cooktop or range is equipped with a range hood of a width at least equal to the width of the cooking surface, with grease baffles or other grease‐collecting and clean‐out capability.

(3)* The hood systems have a minimum airflow of 500 cfm (14,000 L/min).

(4) The hood systems that are not ducted to the exterior additionally have a charcoal filter to remove smoke and odor.

(5) The cooktop or range complies with all of the following:

(a) The cooktop or range is protected with a fire suppression system listed in accordance with UL 300, Standard for Fire Testing of Fire Extinguishing Systems for Protection of Commercial

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Cooking Equipment, or is tested and meets all requirements of UL 300A, Extinguishing System Units for Residential Range Top Cooking Surfaces, in accordance with the applicable testing document's scope.

(b) A manual release of the extinguishing system is provided in accordance with NFPA 96, Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations, Section 10.5.

(c) An interlock is provided to turn off all sources of fuel and electrical power to the cooktop or range when the suppression system is activated.

(6)* The use of solid fuel for cooking is prohibited.

(7)* Deep‐fat frying is prohibited

(8) Portable fire extinguishers in accordance with NFPA 96 are located in all kitchen areas.

(9)* A switch meeting all of the following is provided:

(a) A locked switch, or a switch located in a restricted location, is provided within the cooking facility that deactivates the cooktop or range.

(b) The switch is used to deactivate the cooktop or range whenever the kitchen is not under staff supervision.

Cooking Equipment, or is tested and meets all requirements of UL 300A, Extinguishing System Units for Residential Range Top Cooking Surfaces, in accordance with the applicable testing document's scope.

(b) A manual release of the extinguishing system is provided in accordance with NFPA 96, Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations, Section 10.5.

(c) An interlock is provided to turn off all sources of fuel and electrical power to the cooktop or range when the suppression system is activated.

(6)* The use of solid fuel for cooking is prohibited.

(7)* Deep‐fat frying is prohibited.

(8) Portable fire extinguishers in accordance with NFPA 96 are located in all kitchen areas.

(9)* A switch meeting all of the following is provided:

(a) A locked switch, or a switch located in a restricted location, is provided within the cooking facility that deactivates the cooktop or range.

(b) The switch is used to deactivate the cooktop or range whenever the kitchen is not under staff supervision.

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(c) The switch is on a timer, not exceeding a 120‐minute capacity, that automatically deactivates the cooktop or range, independent of staff action.

(10) Procedures for the use, inspection, testing, and maintenance of the cooking equipment are in accordance with Chapter 11 of NFPA 96 and the manufacturer’s instructions and are followed.

(11)* Not less than two AC‐powered photoelectric smoke alarms, interconnected in accordance with 9.6.2.10.3, equipped with a silence feature, and in accordance with NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, are located not closer than 20 ft (6.1 m) and not further than 25 ft (7.6 m) from the cooktop or range.

(12)* The smoke alarms required by 18.3.2.5.3(11) are permitted to be located outside the kitchen area where such placement is necessary for compliance with the 20‐ft (7.6‐m) minimum distance criterion.

(13)* (12) No smoke detector is System smoke detectors, as might be provided in corridors for compliance with other Code requirements, shall not be located closer less than 25 ft (7.6 m) 20 ft (6.1 m) from the cooktop or range.

(c) The switch is on a timer, not exceeding a 120‐minute capacity, that automatically deactivates the cooktop or range, independent of staff action.

(10) Procedures for the use, inspection, testing, and maintenance of the cooking equipment are in accordance with Chapter 11 of NFPA 96 and the manufacturer’s instructions and are followed.

(11)* Not less than two AC‐powered photoelectric smoke alarms, interconnected in accordance with 9.6.2.10.3, equipped with a silence feature, and in accordance with NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, are located not closer than 20 ft (6.1 m) and not further than 25 ft (7.6 m) from the cooktop or range.

(12)* The smoke alarms required by 19.3.2.5.3(11) are permitted to be located outside the kitchen area where such placement is necessary for compliance with the 20‐ft (7.6‐m) minimum distance criterion.

(13)* (12) No smoke detector is System smoke detectors, as might be provided in corridors for compliance with other Code requirements, shall not be located closer less than 25 ft (7.6 m) 20 ft (6.1 m) from the cooktop or range.

(14) (13) The smoke compartment is protected throughout by an approved, supervised automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 9.7.

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A.18.3.2.5.3 The intent of 18.3.2.5.3 is to limit the number of persons for whom meals are routinely prepared to not more than 30. Staff and feeding assistants are not included in this number.

A.18.3.2.5.3(3) The minimum airflow of 500 cfm (14,000 L/m) is intended to require the use of residential hood equipment at the higher end of equipment capacities. It is also intended to draw a sufficient amount of the cooking vapors into the grease baffle and filter system to reduce migration beyond the hood.

A.18.3.2.5.3(6) The intent of this provision is to limit cooking fuel to gas or electricity. The prohibition of solid fuels for cooking is not intended to prohibit charcoal grilling on grills located outside the facility.

A.18.3.2.5.3(7) Deep‐fat frying is defined as a cooking method that involves fully immersing food in hot oil.

A.18.3.2.5.3(9) The intent of this requirement is that the fuel source for the cooktop or range is to be turned on only when staff is present or aware that the kitchen is being used. The timer function is meant to provide an additional safeguard if the staff forgets to deactivate the cooktop or range. If a cooking activity lasts longer than 120 minutes, the timer would be required to be manually reset.

A.18.3.2.5.3(11) Protection of the cooktop or range is accomplished by the sprinklers that are required in the space and the required cooktop hood fire suppression system. The smoke alarms are intended to notify staff who might not be in the immediate area. The intent of requiring use of smoke alarms, instead of

A.19.3.2.5.3 The intent of 19.3.2.5.3 is to limit the number of persons for whom meals are routinely prepared to not more than 30. Staff and feeding assistants are not included in this number.

A.19.3.2.5.3(3) The minimum airflow of 500 cfm (14,000 L/m) is intended to require the use of residential hood equipment at the higher end of equipment capacities. It is also intended to draw a sufficient amount of the cooking vapors into the grease baffle and filter system to reduce migration beyond the hood.

A.19.3.2.5.3(6) The intent of this provision is to limit cooking fuel to gas or electricity. The prohibition of solid fuels for cooking is not intended to prohibit charcoal grilling on grills located outside the facility.

A.19.3.2.5.3(7) Deep‐fat frying is defined as a cooking method that involves fully immersing food in hot oil.

A.19.3.2.5.3(9) The intent of this requirement is that the fuel source for the cooktop or range is to be turned on only when staff is present or aware that the kitchen is being used. The timer function is meant to provide an additional safeguard if the staff forgets to deactivate the cooktop or range. If a cooking activity lasts longer than 120 minutes, the timer would be required to be manually reset.

A.19.3.2.5.3(11) Protection of the cooktop or range is accomplished by the sprinklers that are required in the space and the required cooktop hood fire suppression system. The smoke alarms are intended to notify staff who might not be in the immediate area. The intent of requiring use of smoke alarms, instead of system

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system smoke detectors, is intended to prevent false alarms from initiating the building fire alarm system and notifying the fire department reduce the number of nuisance alarms. Each nuisance alarm resulting from using a system smoke detector would initiate the building fire alarm system and notify the fire department. Smoke alarms should be maintained a minimum of 20 ft (6.1 m) away from the cooktop or range as studies have shown this distance to be the threshold for significantly reducing false nuisance alarms caused by cooking. The intent of the interconnected smoke alarms, with silence feature, is that while the devices would alert staff members to a potential problem, if it is a false nuisance alarm, the staff members can use the silence feature instead of disabling the alarm. The referenced study indicates that nuisance alarms are reduced with photoelectric smoke alarms. Providing two, interconnected alarms provides a safety factor since they are not electrically supervised by the the fire alarm system. (Smoke Alarms – Pilot Study of Nuisance Alarms Associated with Cooking)

A.18.3.2.5.3(12) The provision of 18.3.2.5.3(12) recognizes that it is more important to maintain the 20‐ft (6.1‐m) minimum spacing between the smoke alarm and the cooktop or range, to minimize nuisance alarms, than to assure that the smoke alarm is located within the kitchen area itself. Figure A.18.3.2.5.3(12) shows one smoke alarm placement strategy that could be utilized.

smoke detectors, is intended to prevent false alarms from initiating the building fire alarm system and notifying the fire department reduce the number of nuisance alarms. Each nuisance alarm resulting from using a system smoke detector would initiate the building fire alarm system and notify the fire department. Smoke alarms should be maintained a minimum of 20 ft (6.1 m) away from the cooktop or range as studies have shown this distance to be the threshold for significantly reducing false nuisance alarms caused by cooking. The intent of the interconnected smoke alarms, with silence feature, is that while the devices would alert staff members to a potential problem, if it is a false nuisance alarm, the staff members can use the silence feature instead of disabling the alarm. The referenced study indicates that nuisance alarms are reduced with photoelectric smoke alarms. Providing two, interconnected alarms provides a safety factor since they are not electrically supervised by the the fire alarm system. (Smoke Alarms – Pilot Study of Nuisance Alarms Associated with Cooking)

A.19.3.2.5.3(12) The provision of 19.3.2.5.3(12) recognizes that it is more important to maintain the 20‐ft (6.1‐m) minimum spacing between the smoke alarm and the cooktop or range, to minimize nuisance alarms, than to assure that the smoke alarm is located within the kitchen area itself. Figure A.19.3.2.5.3(12) shows one smoke alarm placement strategy that could be utilized.

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FIGURE A.18.3.2.5.3(12) Smoke alarm placement providing the required minimum 20 ft (6.1 m) clearance from cooktop or range. A.18.3.2.5.3(13) The requirement of 18.3.2.5.3(13),for system smoke detectors to be not closer than 25 feet (7.6 m) from the cooktop or range, is intended to reduce nuisance alarms that would sound the building fire alarm system and bring the fire department, and to allow the single station alarms, required by 18.3.2.5.3(11), to notify local staff to respond to the kitchen area. It is not the intent of this requirement to limit the distance of system smoke detectors located in a space that is separated from the cooktop or range by walls and a door.

FIGURE A.19.3.2.5.3(12) Smoke alarm placement providing the required minimum 20 ft (6.1 m) clearance from cooktop or range. A.19.3.2.5.3(13) The requirement of 19.3.2.5.3(13),for system smoke detectors to be not closer than 25 feet (7.6 m) from the cooktop or range, is intended to reduce nuisance alarms that would sound the building fire alarm system and bring the fire department, and to allow the single station alarms, required by 19.3.2.5.3(11), to notify local staff to respond to the kitchen area. It is not the intent of this requirement to limit the distance of system smoke detectors located in a space that is separated from the cooktop or range by walls and a door.

Technical Substantiation for Changes: The new language clarifies the requirements related to the use of smoke alarms as well as system smoke

detectors. The original language contained a requirement to install smoke alarms a minimum of 20 feet

away from the cooktop or range, but there was no limit on the maximum distance the smoke alarms

could be located from the cooktop or range. The new language clarifies that the smoke alarms are to be

installed at a distance not less than 20 feet and not more than 25 feet from the cooktop or range. It also

clarifies that the smoke alarms are permitted to be located outside of the kitchen area to meet the 20

foot minimum distance criterion.

The provision of 18/19.3.2.5.3(12) recognizes that it is more important to maintain the 20‐ft (6.1‐m)

minimum distance criterion between the smoke alarm and the cooktop or range, to minimize nuisance

alarms, than to assure that the smoke alarm is located within the kitchen area itself. The smoke alarms

Cor

ridor

Cor

ridor

X

X

X

Kitchen

≥ 20 ft (≥ 6.1 m)Cooktop

Smoke alarm

Cor

ridor

Cor

ridor

X

X

X

Kitchen

≥ 20 ft (≥ 6.1 m)Cooktop

Smoke alarm

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are intended to notify staff who might not be in the immediate area. The use of smoke alarms, instead

of system smoke detectors, is intended to reduce the number of nuisance alarms that would initiate the

building fire alarm system and notify the fire department.

The new language also clarifies that smoke alarms are to be located closer to the cooktop or range than

system smoke detectors when system smoke detectors are installed. The provision of 18/19.3.2.5.3(13)

clarifies that there is a minimum distance criterion of 25 feet that applies to all system smoke detectors.

In addition, the Annex clarifies that it is not the intent to impose the 25 foot minimum distance on

system smoke detectors located in a space that is separated from the cooktop or range by walls and a

door (i.e., located in a different room).

Substantiation of Emergency Nature: (Tom Jaeger to draft)

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1

Cote, Ron

From: Harrington, GregSent: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 1:34 PMTo: Cote, RonSubject: RE: NFPA 101-2012: 18.1.6.5

Thank you.

From: Cote, Ron Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 1:09 PM To: Harrington, Greg Cc: MacKay, Linda Subject: RE: NFPA 101-2012: 18.1.6.5

Yes, in an effort to standardize on terminology a technical change was made (1) without technical substantiation for such change, and (2) without the committee realizing that the change would affect the paragraph technically. There was no deliberate intent by the committee to exclude 1-hr fire resistance-rated assemblies from using the same leniency for FRTW as offered to 2-hr assemblies. Ron Coté, P.E. Principal Life Safety Engineer NFPA - Quincy, MA USA Important Notice: This correspondence is not a Formal Interpretation issued pursuant to NFPA Regulations. Any opinion expressed is the personal opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the official position of the NFPA or its Technical Committees. In addition, this correspondence is neither intended, nor should it be relied upon, to provide professional consultation or services. The United States Fire Administration (USFA) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) are working together to remind everyone that home fires are more prevalent in winter than in any other season. Learn how to reduce your risk of experiencing a fire this winter.

www.nfpa.org/winter

From: Harrington, Greg Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 1:02 PM To: Cote, Ron Subject: RE: NFPA 101-2012: 18.1.6.5 My error, I neglected to attach the pages. Please see the highlighted bit.

From: Cote, Ron Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 1:01 PM To: Harrington, Greg Subject: RE: NFPA 101-2012: 18.1.6.5

If you have the Comment, would you send it? Otherwise I can look it up.

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2

Ron Coté, P.E. Principal Life Safety Engineer NFPA - Quincy, MA USA

From: Harrington, Greg Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 12:59 PM To: Cote, Ron Subject: NFPA 101-2012: 18.1.6.5 Ron: Please see attached Comment 101-223 from the A2008 ROC, specifically the revision to 18.1.6.8 (18.1.6.5 in the 2009 and 2012 editions) made by the Larry Brown “grade plane” task group. This resulted in a technical change that I don’t believe was intended. Per the 2009 and 2012 editions, FRTW is only permitted in nonbearing partitions with a FRR at least 2 hr – a 1 hr partition would not be permitted to use FRTW. Do you agree this revision was made in error? (I have a pending advisory service inquiry.) Thanks. --Greg

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1

Cote, Ron

From: Cote, RonSent: Wednesday, May 02, 2012 1:33 PMTo: Hart, JonathanSubject: RE: NFPA 101 Ch 18 Laboratories

Thank you, Jonathan. I’ll add the subject to the agenda for BLD/SAF-HEA’s August first draft meeting . Ron Coté, P.E. Principal Life Safety Engineer NFPA - Quincy, MA USA

From: Hart, Jonathan Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2012 8:43 PM To: Cote, Ron Subject: NFPA 101 Ch 18 Laboratories Hi Ron, I’m sure you and some from the health care committee probably know by now but I just noticed in 101 that 18.3.2.2 refers to NFPA 99 for Laboratories employing hazardous materials. We’ve deleted the chapter for Labs from 99 and now actually extract from 101 as follows:

15.4 Laboratories. Laboratories using chemicals shall comply with NFPA 45, Standard on Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals, unless otherwise modified by other provisions of this code. [101:8.7.4.1] Like I said, someone has probably picked up on this but I figured I might as well bring it up just in case. I do think that we lost some things in taking out our chapter that NFPA 45 does not address and I plan to bring this up at our CC meeting in two weeks, we may end up with some of the requirements put back in, or just working with the 45 TC to better correlate with what we had. Just to keep everyone on their toes. Jon Jonathan R. Hart Associate Fire Protection Engineer National Fire Protection Association 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169‐7471 Phone: 617‐984‐7470 Email: [email protected] Attend the premier event for fire, life safety and electrical professionals!

www.nfpa.org/conference Blog: http://nfpa.typepad.com/conference

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BLD‐AACandSAF‐AACpre‐FirstDraftplanningmeeting–March13,2012 Page7

9. Increasing Attendance at Technical Committee Meetings. Robert Solomon reported on the NFPA goal of increasing attendance at technical committee meetings. Efforts are being made to attract participants from the geographic area where the committee meeting is being held via communication with professional groups. Use of social media is being considered. Participation via telephone and Microsoft Live Meeting is being considered for committees with few Public Input items and for which short duration meetings are expected.

10. New Codes and Standards Revision Process. Robert Solomon used a PowerPoint presentation, for which handouts of the slides were distributed by e-mail on March 12, to explain terminology and the workings of the new revision process. Approximately 1.5 hours into the review, it was agreed to leave this agenda item and move to the agenda item addressing the identification of subject areas for technical committee focus during the upcoming revision cycle.

11. Subject Areas for TC Focus During 2015 Edition Revision Cycle. The correlating committees reviewed the list of 36 subject areas – as prepared by staff mainly from committee meeting minutes – distributed with the agenda. Item 36 referenced the subjects detailed in the SAF-AAC meeting minutes of January 6, 2011, also included in the agenda packet. Members introduced additional items for consideration, including those received via e-mail from Jim Lathrop, chair of BLD/SAF-MEA who was unable to participate in the meeting. The following is a list of subject areas that the technical committees are already scheduled to address or are asked by the correlating committees to address for preparation of NFPA 101-2015 and NFPA 5000-2015.

No.

Subject

Notes Document or Committee

Impacted NFPA 101 NFPA 5000

1 Glossary of Terms (GOT)

TCs are asked to remove requirements from documents. Place requirements in code provisions. Up-to-date GOT, with designation of assigned TC and preferred definition, does not exist. TCs are asked to respond to PIs relative to definitions and to “do their best” relative to moving toward standardization. Efforts needed to implement new revision process might preclude much effort from being expended on GOT issues.

All TCs All TCs

2 Update requirements Correlation needed Not AXM, BCF,

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No.

Subject

Notes

Document or Committee Impacted

NFPA 101 NFPA 5000

in NFPA 5000 to include changes made in recent editions of NFPA 101 to the provisions for new construction, but missed for NFPA 5000

Applicable BSF, DET, END, FIR, FUN, FUR, HEA, IND, MEA, MER, RES

3 Non Emergency Movement and Non-Fire Emergency situations in/outside of buildings

Examples: Baseball park patron reaches for ball and falls over guard; outside shooter – protect in place; weather events; gas leak

AXM, FUN, MEA, MER

AXM, FUN, MEA, MER

4 Multi-hazards (other than fire)

Task group of FUN assigned FUN FUN

5 Atrium as occupancy separation

Subject rejected during last revision cycle

FUN FUN

6 Study use of FRTW in plenum spaces regulated by NFPA 90A

Topic of appeal to NFPA Standards Council. BLD-AAC asked SCM and BLC to look at issue again for 2015 editions. Receive input from AIC-AAA as well.

May impact Chapter 8

BLC, SCM

7 Photovoltaic Systems Topic of Held comment in NFPA 5000. Cuts across multiple TCs and projects. Consider formation of a Task Group comprised of members from BLC, BSY, SCM as well as NEC-AAC, FCC-AAA and a representative of the NFPA Fire Service Section to look at the issue and develop a recommendation.

Not applicable

BLC, BSY, SCM

8 Revise or remove Height and Area tables in NFPA 5000

Area limitations in Table 7.4.1 were questioned during last cycle. FPRF fund request submitted but not yet acted on.

Not Applicable

BLC

9 Defining exit access, exit, exit discharge

Task group of MEA assigned MEA MEA

10 Atrium egress Task group of MEA assigned MEA MEA 11 Stair descent devices

relative to RESNA product standard

Task group of MEA assigned. MEA annex material might be deleted

MEA MEA, BSY

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No.

Subject

Notes


NFPA 101 NFPA 5000

upon completion of RESNA standard

12 Anthropometric Data Consider currency of the data (as shown in 101: A.7.3.4.1.1); secure new data; revise code requirements where needed

MEA MEA

13 Exiting within super-secure buildings

Consider provisions for shelter-in-place

MEA MEA

14 Evaluate current requirements for existing buildings

Reality check? MEA MEA

15 Accessibility criteria of NFPA 5000.

Topic of appeal to NFPA Standards Council involving jurisdiction of BSY and RES on visitability issue. Do Occupancy TCs have the ability to modify BSY actions on this subject?

Not Applicable

BSY and occupancy TCs, mainly RES

16 NFPA 5000 Accessibility

Do 2010 DOJ Standards create need for revisions?

Not Applicable

BSY

17 Energy Conservation Provisions

Level of stringency, impact on fire and life safety and availability of ASHRAE 90.1 and 90.2

Not Applicable

BSY

18 Mechanical Code Include reference to IAPMO Mechanical Code?

Not Applicable

BSY

19 Plumbing Code Include reference to IAPMO Plumbing Code?

Not Applicable

BSY

20 Isolated Hazardous Area/Special Hazard sprinkler protection

Clarification of intent of application of not more than 6 sprinklers supplied by domestic water

BSF FIR

BSF FIR

21 Occupant notification via public address/entertainment system in assembly occupancies

Task group of AXM assigned

AXM AXM

22 Assembly seating aisle termination


AXM AXM

23 Evaluation of smoke-protected assembly-seating capacity factors


AXM AXM

24 Assembly occupancies life


AXM AXM

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No.

Subject

Notes


NFPA 101 NFPA 5000

safety evaluation (LSE) operational requirements

25 Assembly crowd managers and their training


AXM AXM

26 Evaluation of existing exemptions for places of religious worship


AXM AXM

27 Introduction of risk-based provisions into health care chapters

Task group of HEA assigned HEA HEA

28 Person-directed / person-centered health care


29 Home health care Task group of HEA assigned HEA HEA 30 Increasing allowable

risk to achieve better quality of life in health care occupancies


31 Ambulatory Health Care (AHC) Occupancies

Consider making AHC chapters self-standing (without need to consult Business Occupancy chapters)

HEA HEA

32 Dormitory requirements

Evaluate whether dormitory requirements justify their own chapters, independent of those for hotels

RES RES

33 Fireplaces and CO detection

Clarification on need for CO detection with fireplaces (solid fuel, gas, electric?). FI did not pass ballot of RES.

RES BCF

RES BCF

34 CO detection for board and care facilities

Task group of BCF assigned BCF BCF

35 Occupant Load Factor for business uses

Review project by Fire Protection Research Foundation. Consider call centers vs. less-populated business uses.

MER MER

36 Correlation of HAZMAT requirements among NFPA 1/400/5000

Staff to draft committee-PIs for review by TG-3.

Not Applicable

FIR

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No.

Subject

Notes


NFPA 101 NFPA 5000

37 Leakage at smoke barriers and fire barriers

Quantification of leakage? FIR FIR

38 Active fire protection systems and fire ratings

Revisit issue of crediting active fire protection systems, like sprinklers, with providing fire resistance rating to an assembly so protected

FIR FIR

39 Terms/phrases: - Smoke barrier - Smoke partition - “Partition that resists passage of smoke” - “Partition that limits passage of smoke”

If FIR finds the time, work toward correlation throughout code by suggesting changes to other TCs. Other TCs to review their use of these terms.

FIR, and other TCs

FIR, and other TCs

40 Accuracy of annex material

Review annex material for accuracy

All TCs All TCs

12. Other Business. None.

13. Next Meeting. The correlating committees will meet in November 2012 in a face-to-face meeting to address the Public Input process conducted by the technical committees earlier in the year. The BLD-AAC and SAF-AAC committees will individually hold a one-day meeting. The two meetings will be on consecutive days and be held during the week of November 5-9. No meeting location had been determined.

14. Adjournment. The meeting was adjourned 2:00 p.m. Eastern.

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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 101_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #361 SAF-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________Joshua Elvove, U.S. General Services Administration

Revise to read:18.1.3.3 An atrium separation meeting the requirements of 6.1.14.4.5 shall be permitted to serve as an occupancy

separation.18.1.3.34* Sections of health care facilities shall be permitted to be classified as other occupancies, provided that theymeet both of the following conditions:(1) They are not intended to provide services simultaneously for four or more inpatients for purposes of housing,treatment, or customary access by inpatients incapable of self-preservation.(2) They are separated from areas of health care occupancies by construction having a minimum 2-hour fire resistancerating in accordance with Chapter 8.18.1.3.4 5 Contiguous Non-Health Care Occupancies.18.1.3.45.1* Ambulatory care facilities, medical clinics, and similar facilities that are contiguous to health careoccupancies, but are primarily intended to provide outpatient services, shall be permitted to be classified as businessoccupancies or ambulatory health care facilities, provided that the facilities are separated from the health careoccupancy by construction having a minimum 2-hour fire resistance rating, and the facility is not intended to provideservices simultaneously for four or more inpatients who are incapable of self preservation.18.1.3.45.2 Ambulatory care facilities, medical clinics, and similar facilities that are contiguous to health careoccupancies shall be permitted to be used for diagnostic and treatment services of inpatients who are capable ofself-preservation.18.1.3.56 Where separated occupancies provisions are used in accordance with either 18.1.3.3 or 18.1.3.4, the moststringent construction type shall be provided throughout the building, unless a 2-hour separation is provided inaccordance with 8.2.1.3, in which case the construction type shall be determined as follows:(1) The construction type and supporting construction of the health care occupancy shall be based on the story on whichit is located in the building in accordance with the provisions of 18.1.6 and Table 18.1.6.1.(2) The construction type of the areas of the building enclosing the other occupancies shall be based on the applicableoccupancy chapters of this Code.18.1.3.67 All means of egress from health care occupancies that traverse non-health care spaces shall conform to therequirements of this Code for health care occupancies, unless otherwise permitted by 18.1.3.7.18.1.3.78 Exit through a horizontal exit into other contiguous occupancies that do not conform to health care egressprovisions, but that do comply with requirements set forth in the appropriate occupancy chapter of this Code, shall bepermitted, provided that both of the following criteria apply:(1) The occupancy does not contain high hazard contents.(2) The horizontal exit complies with the requirements of 18.2.2.5.18.1.3.89 Egress provisions for areas of health care facilities that correspond to other occupancies shall meet thecorresponding requirements of this Code for such occupancies, and, where the clinical needs of the occupantnecessitate the locking of means of egress, staff shall be present for the supervised release of occupants during alltimes of use.18.1.3.910 Auditoriums, chapels, staff residential areas, or other occupancies provided in connection with health carefacilities shall have means of egress provided in accordance with other applicable sections of this Code.18.1.3.1011 Any area with a hazard of contents classified higher than that of the health care occupancy and located inthe same building shall be protected as required by 18.3.2.18.1.3.1112 Non-health care–related occupancies classified as containing high hazard contents shall not be permittedin buildings housing health care occupancies.

A public input has been submitted to add a new requirement to 6.1.14.4.5 to permit atriums to be usedas an occupancy separation, should an occupancy so choose, provided the atrium is designed in accordance with 8.6.7and is physicall separated from adjacent areas. Since atriums have always permitted to serve in lieu of up to 2 hrvertical openings protection when the all the provisions of 8.6.7 are met, it seems logical that an atrium should also beused as an occupancy separation. This concept was proposed during the 2012 cycle, but was rejected by the TC FUNbecause it lacked some needed safeguards. As a result, the requirement that the atrium be physically separate fromadjacent spaces was added. Nothing precludes individual occupancies from prescribing additional safeguards, so it theTC HEA wishes to further enhance the base proposal within chapters 16 and 17, it's free to do so. Note: similarproposals have been submitted for Assembly, Business, Educational, Day Care and Ambulatory Health Care

1Printed on 7/2/2012

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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 101occupancies.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #488 SAF-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________Masoud Sabounchi, Advanced Consulting Engineers, Inc.

Add new items to the footnotes of Table 18.1.6.1 to read:+ Skywalk bridges used for pedestrian access between buildings shall be separted from the connecting buildings by a

1-hour fire resistance rated fire barriers constructed in accordance with Section 8.3. Skywalk bridges connectingbuildings having fire resistance rated construction shall be permitted to be constructed of non-combustible and non-fireresistance rated construction.

‡ Basements are not counted as stories.Many health care facilities have pedestrian bridges/walkways between buildings providing pedestrian

access. In most cases the connecting buildings are fire resistance rated. As such, if the bridge is proposed to beconstructed of non-combustible material section 8.2.1.3 would require the bridge to either have the same fire rating asthe building or have a 2-hour fire resistance rated vertically aligned fire barrier separation. These bridges are forpedestrian circulation only and do not pose a fire hazard to the connecting buildings. If the committee wishes, sprinklerprotection can be included for added protection.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #82 SAF-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________Bill Galloway, Southern Regional Fire Code Development Committee

Revise to read:Interior nonbearing walls required to have a minimum 2-hour fire resistance rating of 2 hours or less shall be

permitted to be of fire-retardant-treated wood enclosed within noncombustible or limited-combustible materials, providedthat such walls are not used as shaft enclosures.

The proposed changes will make these sections consistent with section 4.3.2.11.2 of NFPA 220-2012and with the wording in the 2006 edition of NFPA 101. These sections in NFPA 101 were editorially revised for the 2009edition and carried forth to the 2012 edition but the revision inadvertently made a technical change without anysubstantiation. There is no rational explanation for why NFPA 101 should be so much more restrictive than NFPA 220in the use of FRTW in interior nonbearing walls.


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_______________________________________________________________________________________________Chad E. Beebe, ASHE - AHA

Revise to read:Door-locking arrangements shall be permitted where to reduce the risk of child abduction and address

patient special needs that require specialized protective measures for their safety, provided that all of the followingcriteria are met:

The risk of child abduction is an appropriate reason to allow specialized protective measures such asdoor-locking arrangements. Current code interpretation does not consider the risk of child abduction as a qualifyingreason for door-locking arrangements, but any parent realizes the terrifying consequences that could stem from the lackof such protections. In addition to the extreme emotional and mental distress a child abduction can cause for both thechild and the child’s family, abductions can also directly impact the physical well-being of the child. These are real,clinical needs of our most vulnerable patients and should be treated as such. NFPA 101 includes protections tosafeguard against potential problems with door-locking arrangements: staff must be able to readily unlock doors,electronic locks must have a failsafe feature to release upon loss of power, buildings must be protected with approvedautomatic sprinkler systems, and other criteria must be met. Given these protections, the code should be changed tofurther protect children from abductions by allowing door-locking arrangements. So many jurisdictions are notinterpreting that this section does not apply to infant abduction a change needs to be made.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #185 SAF-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________Peter A. Larrimer, US Department of Veterans Affairs

Insert 18.2.2.2.7* and renumber the existing 18.2.2.2.7 and the rest of the section.18.2.2.2.7* Doors permitted to be locked in accordance with 18.2.2.2.5.1 shall be permitted to have murals on theegress doors to disguise the doors provided all of the following are met:

1. Staff can readily unlock the doors at all times in accordance with 18.2.2.2.6.2.* The door releasing hardware, where provided, is clearly visible and readily accessible for staff use.3.* Door windows and door hardware, other than door releasing hardware, shall be permitted to be covered by the

murals.4. The murals shall not impair the operation of the doors.

In some Healthcare Occupancies, especially nursing homes, the use of murals to disguise doors hasbeen found to be beneficial for certain patient populations. Where exit doors or exit access doors within a Health CareOccupancy are locked, murals will not affect the ability of patients (or visitors) to egress because in a locked area thedoors must always be unlocked by staff. It does not reduce the level of safety intended by NFPA 101 when these doorsare camouflaged, because the staff members know the locations of the doors, and can readily open the doors at alltimes. Therefore, in an area within a Health Care Occupancy where (a) doors are permitted to be locked in the directionof egress travel in accordance with section 18.2.2.2.5.1 due to the clinical needs of patients, and (b) staff know thelocations of all disguised doors, and (c) staff can readily open the disguised doors at all times, then installing murals ondoors results does not reduce the level of safety below that which would be provided if the doors were not disguised. Aproposal was sent to Chapter 7 for this exception for Chapter 18 and 19.


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_______________________________________________________________________________________________Jennifer L. Frecker, Koffel Associates, Inc.

Delete the following text:Horizontal-sliding doors, as permitted by 7.2.1.14, that are not automatic-closing shall be limited to a

single leaf and shall have a latch or other mechanism that ensures that the doors will not rebound into a partially openposition if forcefully closed.

Paragraph 7.2.1.14 is specific to accordion horizontal sliding doors and requires that the door must slidewhen pushed in the direction of egress, which inherently requires a motor of some form to operate. This is in directopposition to the fact that 18.2.2.10.1 is specific to doors that are not automatic closing. I believe this was an attempt toensure that sliding corridor doors are positive latching but an incorrect reference in Chapter 7 was pulled.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #434 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:The total egress capacity of the other exits (stairs, ramps, doors leading outside the building) shall not be

reduced below one-third of that required for the entire area of the building. Number of horizontal exit doors is not limited.As written, capacity of horizontal exits is limited to 2/3 of the total egress capacity from a fire

compartment. However, this section does not address number of permitted exit doors in horizontal exits. The proposedrevision clarifies that number of horizontal exits is not limited-allowing travel distances to be measured to all horizontalexit doors.


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_______________________________________________________________________________________________Peter Reed, Pioneer Network / Rep. Life Safety Code Task Force

Revise text to read as follows:Aisles, corridors, and ramps required for exit access in a hospital or nursing home shall be not less than 8 ft

(2440 mm) in clear and unobstructed width, unless otherwise permitted by one of the following:[rest of section text remains unchanged]

Aisles, corridors, and ramps required for exit access in a limited care facility, nursing home, or hospital forpsychiatric care shall be not less than 6 ft (1830 mm) in clear and unobstructed width, unless otherwise permitted byone of the following:

(6) In nursing homes where the corridor width is at least 8 ft (2440 mm), projections into the required width shall bepermitted for fixed furniture per 18.2.3.4 (5).

The 8 foot corridor width has long been a requirement to permit two beds to pass each other in thecorridor. However, nursing homes do not move residents in beds for either routine matters or in an emergency.Therefore the additional width is not needed.As nursing homes move away from institutional models, it is important to have the ability to provide home-likeenvironments. The 8 foot wide corridor, a hallmark of institutional settings, is a visual and financial barrier asorganizations seek to provide appropriate settings for resident centered care. Reduction in width of the corridor to 6’ willfacilitate a residential atmosphere in household nursing models, small house models, as well as larger unit sizes. Thereduction in square footage of the corridor will make new and reconstruction projects more affordable for providers.Regarding Capacity of Means of Egress, this placement of the nursing home occupancy in 18.2.3.5 which includesLimited Care Facilities in lieu of section 18.2.3.4 which includes hospitals, recognizes the nursing homes greatersimilarity to a Limited Care Facility.As another example, let’s do a calculation of required egress capacity. Take for example a traditional, institutionalnursing unit size of 60 beds. Even with a staffing ratio of 1:4, and assuming half of the residents have a visitor, you endup with a total occupant load of 105 people for that floor. If you then look at table 7.3.3.1, the minimum clear egresswidth for a corridor, that would handle all 105 people traveling in just one direction, would only need to be 21 inches.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #84 SAF-HEA


Add new text as follows(d) The wheeled equipment is located only on the same side as the furniture in the corridor.

To ensure that the corridor is provided with a clear path of travel and all obstructions are located onthe same side. If all obstructions are not located on the same side as furniture it will be a roller coaster ride trying tonavigate the corridors.


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Revise text to read as follows:*18.2.3.6 The minimum clear width for doors in the means of egress from sleeping rooms; diagnostic and treatment

areas, such as x-ray, surgery, or physical therapy; and nursery rooms shall be as follows: in rooms that must routinelyaccommodate beds or gurneys shall meet the following:(1) Hospitals and nursing homes: Doors from sleeping rooms; diagnostic and treatment areas such as x-ray, surgery orphysical therapy; and nursery rooms – 41 ½ in (1055 mm)(2) Nursing Homes: Corridor doors at sleeping rooms and doors identified by the emergency plan – 41 ½ in (1055 mm)(2) (3) Psychiatric hospitals and limited care facilities – 32 in (810 mm)

Nursing homes, as a rule, do not transport residents while in beds for either routine or emergencypurposes. This clarification is meant to eliminate the need for (and typical mis-interpretations requiring) wider doors atrooms where beds would not be brought into, such as toilet rooms, physical therapy rooms, exam rooms, salons, officesand other such doors that residents might use.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #456 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:Every habitable patient sleeping or treatment room shall have an exit access door leading directly to an

exit access corridor, unless otherwise provided in 18.2.5.6.2, 18.2.5.6.3, and 18.2.5.6.4.Habitable rooms are not defined. If one were to use Webster, one could interpret this to mean any

room that can be occupied. If this were the case, then offices, housekeeping closets, frequently visited storage roomsand other low occupancy rooms would be required unnecessarily to comply with these provisions. This should only berequired for rooms housing patients or rooms used for treatment.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #262 SAF-HEA


Add the following text:18.2.5.7.1.5 When measuring the areas of suites, the measurement shall be a gross measurement of all areas serving

patient sleeping and treatment within the boundary of the suite. Areas not serving patient sleeping or care, such asmechanical rooms or shafts, are not required to be included in the calculation of the area of the suite.

The addition of this language will clarify the proper calculation of suite area. Many variations of suitearea calculation are performed based on interpretation and this will ensure consistency in the calculation of requiredarea.


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Revise to read:(A)* Occupants of habitable patient sleeping or treament rooms within sleeping suites shall have exit access to a

corridor complying with 18.3.6, or to a horizontal exit, directly from the suite.Habitable rooms are not defined. If one were to use Webster, one could interpret this to mean any


_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #393 SAF-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________Lennon Peake, Koffel Associates, Inc.

Add a new section to read:The intent of this provision is where a limited amount of sleeping rooms are not provided with direct

supervision within a suite, such as isolation rooms or rooms around the corner from the nurse’s station, it is permitted toprovide smoke detection in lieu of direct supervision. Where the majority of sleeping rooms in a suite are not providedwith direct supervision from a constantly attended location the provisions of 18.2.5.7.2.1(D)(2) must be met.

The proposed annex note is intended to clarify the requirements for direct supervision of patientsleeping rooms and what alternative measures are permitted under what circumstances and details when smokedetection is required in patient sleeping rooms only vs. throughout the suite. For example, if all sleeping rooms in a suitewere not provided with visual supervision, a designer could provide smoke detection in every patient sleeping room andmeet the requirements of 18.2.5.7.2.1(D)(1)(b). It is understood the intent of the code in this instance is for the entiresuite to be provided with smoke detection. If that is not the intent of the code, why would a design professional design asuite with total coverage automatic smoke detection when providing smoke detection in patient sleeping rooms onlymeets the sleeping suite arrangement requirements of the Code?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #176 SAF-HEA


Revise to read: (A) Travel distance between any point in a sleeping suite and an exit access corridor door or a horizontal exit door from

that suite shall not exceed 100 ft (30 m).Coordination with other proposals. No technical change intended.


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Revise to read:18.2.5.7.3.1 Patient Care Non-Sleeping Suite Arrangement.(A) Occupants of habitable patient treatment rooms within non-sleeping suites shall have exit access to a corridor

complying with 18.3.6, or to a horizontal exit, directly from the suite.(B) Where two or more exit access doors are required from the suite by 18.2.5.5.2, one of the exit access doors shall

be permitted to be directly to an exit stair, exit passageway, or exit door to the exterior.Habitable rooms are not defined. If one were to use Webster, one could interpret this to mean any


_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #390 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:Patient Care Non-Sleeping Suite Maximum Size. Non-sleeping suites shall not exceed 1012,000 500 ft2

(930 1161 m2), unless otherwise provided in 18.2.5.7.3.3(A).

Over the past 15 years the AIA and/or FGI Guidelines for Planning of Healthcare Facilities haveincreased the required room size for exam rooms, treatment rooms, and also require additional rooms such as bariatricrooms. The required area for patient treatment has been increased without increasing the allowable size of non-sleepingsuites. The 10,000 sq ft limitation for non-provides additional life safety to building occupants which justifies the areaincrease to 12,500 sq ft. Providing an automatic sleeping suites was in the Code prior to the sprinkler protectionrequirement in new health care occupancies. Sprinkler protection smoke detection system throughout the suite providesan additional level of life safety which justifies increasing the area to 15,000 sq ft. The justification to increase the size ofnon-sleeping suites is similar to the increase in sleeping suite size in recent editions of the Code. Sprinkler protectionand smoke detection are very effective measures of providing life safety to building occupants and address theproposed increase in the area of non-sleeping suites.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #224 SAF-HEA


Revise text to read as follows:18.2.6.2.1 The travel distance between any point in a room and an exit or door leading to an adjacent smokecompartment shall not exceed 200 ft (61 m).

Health care occupancies use smoke compartments as a means of defending in place. The traveldistance to a smoke barrier should be considered equivalent to the travel distance to an exit.


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Revise to read:Discharge from exits shall be arranged in accordance with Section 7.7.

Add a new section to read:

There are situations in healthcare in which patients need to be kept in staff control if they need to exitthe building such as vulnerable, behavioral, highly infectious, forensic and detained patient populations. On manyhealthcare campuses the public way could be a great distance away from the actual healthcare facility (some havereported up to a mile). The 50 s.f. was determined by multiplying the length and width of a typical stretcher and allowingfor access on at least one side. this would assume full occupancy at worst case scenario. In reality, not all patientswould be on a stretcher, many would be in wheelchairs, many would be ambulatory requiring less square feet. The 50s.f. also is consistent with other legacy codes that allowed this in healthcare facilities for many years.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #432 SAF-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________Wayne G. Carson, Carson Associates, Inc.

Delete the following:Unprotected openings in accordance with 8.6.6 shall not be permitted.

There appears to be no technical reason why the 3-story floor opening is not permitted in health careoccupancies. All new health care occupancies are totally protected with sprinklers. This 3-story opening provisionshould be permitted in health care as in any other occuancy.


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Revise to read:

Include 101_L463_Rec PI #451

The intended formatting may not have been correctly reflected via TerraView. The intent is to separateTable 18.3.2.1 into two tables. One where 1-hour fire rated separation is required and one where non-fire ratedseparations/smoke partitions are required.

Splitting the hazardous areas into two tables make the Code easier to use. But more importantly, current text in18.3.2.1 makes reference to Section 8.7, when there are no criteria from this section to comply with. For hazardousareas that are required to be 1 hour fire resistance rated, the reference should be to Section 8.3, Fire Barriers, as thissection describes how to construct barrier walls, and lists the requirements for openings in fire barriers, penetrations andjoints, all of which should be met. The only item pertaining to one-hour rated hazardous areas that is referencable inSection 8.7 is 8.7.1.3, which addresses fire door requirements and these requirements are addressed satisfactorily byTable 8.3.4.2. All other requirements in Section 8.3 should be met when protecting hazardous areas that require aone-hour fire resistance rating. For hazardous areas that only need to resist the passage of smoke, the referenceshould be to Section 8.4, Smoke Partitions, as this section describes how to construct partition walls, and lists therequirements for doors, penetrations, joints and air transfer openings. All other requirements in Section 8.4 should bemet when protecting non-rated hazardous areas. Note: if the intent is not to require hazardous areas described in Table18.3.2.1.2 to meet all the requirements of Section 8.4, then changes need to be made to the charging paragraph sinceSection 8.4 becomes applicable, due to existing language the references Section 8.7.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #520 SAF-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________Wayne G. Carson, Carson Assoc. Inc.

Add new sections to read:Alcoves of less than 50 ft2 (4.6 m2) in coridors used to store materials or equipment are

not considered hazardous areas but are considered areas open to the corridor and shall be protected in accordancewith 18.3.6.1.

Corridor alcoves of less than 50 ft2 (4.6 m2) shall be separetd by a straight-line distance of at least 10 ft. (3048 mm)

At present there is no separation distance between individual alcoves. A designer could make alcovesof 49 ft2 down the corridor separated only by the thickness of a partition (say 4 inches). The 10 ft separation was pickedas a reasonable separation distance as that is the separation used to separate groups of furniture placed in corridors insection 18.2.3.4(5)(e). If there is no separation distance between alcoves, it seems fire could spread between alcovesbefore the sprinklers activate and control the fire.


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101 Log 463 Rec from Terra PI #451

18.3.2.1* Hazardous Areas.

Any hazardous Hazardous areas shall be protected in accordance with Section 8.7, and the the following:

18.3.2.1.1 Hazardous areas described in Table 18.3.2.1 shall be protected

as indicated. by fire barriers having a 1-hour fire resistance rating and comply with Section 8.3.

Table 18.3.2.1 Hazardous 1.1 Hazardous Area Protection

Hazardous Area Description Protection/ Separation† Separation†

Boiler and fuel-fired heater rooms 1 hour

Central/bulk laundries larger than 00 ft2ft2 (9.3 m2m2)

1 hour

Laboratories employing flammable or combustible materials in quantities less than those

that would be considered a severe hazard

See 18.3.6.3.11.

Laboratories that use hazardous aterials that would be classified as a evere hazard in accordance with FPA 99, Standard for Health Care Facilities

1 hour

Paint shops employing hazardous ubstances and materials in quantities ess than those that would be classified as a severe hazard

1 hour

Physical plant maintenance shops 1 hour

Rooms with soiled linen in volume xceeding 64 gal (242 L)

1 hour

Storage rooms larger than 50

100 ft2(4.6

m2) but not exceeding 100 ft2

9.3 m2

2) and storing

ombustible material

See 18.3.6.3.11.

Storage rooms larger than 100 ft2 (9.3 m2) and storing combustible aterial

1 hour

Rooms with collected trash in volume xceeding 64 gal (242 L)

1 hour †Minimum fire resistance rating.

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_______________________________________________________________________________________________Sharon S. Gilyeat, Koffel Associates, Inc.

Revise to read:Laboratories employing quantities of flammable, combustible, or hazardous materials that are

considered as a severe hazard shall be protected in accordance with NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code NFPA 45,Standard on Fire Protection for Laboratories using Chemicals.

NFPA 99 no longer contains requirements for labs in health care facilities. There is no reason to go toNFPA 99 to get to NFPA 45, when NFPA 45 is the document that maintains the requirements.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #347 SAF-HEA


Delete the following text:18.3.2.3 Anesthetizing Locations. Anesthetizing locations shall be protected in accordance with NFPA 99, Health

Care Facilities Code.This section should be deleted. There are no provisions of NFPA 99, 2012 that require any

"protections from hazards" in Anesthetizing locations. There are many sections that require zone valves, area alarms,etc. but nothing that requires any type of separation or sprinklering requirements since the use of flammable anestheticsare no longer used.


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Add text to read as follows:Where a residential cooktop or range is used for food warming, limited cooking, activity or therapy

cooking, the equipment shall not be required to be protected in accordance with 9.2.3, and the presence of theequipment shall not require the area to be protected as a hazardous area, when all of the following conditions are met:

(1)* A switch meeting all of the following is provided:(a) A locked switch, or a switch located in a restricted location, is provided that deactivates the cooktop or range.(b) The switch is used to deactivate the cooktop or range whenever the equipment is not under staff supervision.(c) The switch is on a timer, not exceeding a 120-minute capacity, that automatically deactivates the cooktop or range,

independent of staff action.(2) A quick response sprinkler head is located a minimum of 18 inches (457 mm) from the edge of the cooktop or

range and a maximum of 5 feet (1.5 m) from the center of the cooktop or range(3) A Class K, portable fire extinguisher, in accordance with NFPA 10 shall be located within 15 feet (4.6 m) of the

cooktop or range.(4) A residential-style range hood, with grease filter, and equal to the width of the cooktop, shall be provided.

In many nursing homes, residential ranges are used for activity cooking (baking cookies) andOccupational Therapy activities. In order to prove that an elder is able to move back into their own home, it is importantto demonstrate that they can safely cook for themselves, and sometimes this is part of the rehabilitation therapy that isneeded. The current code provision for limited cooking (18.3.2.5.2) does not address or allow a range or cooktop to bepart of the limited cooking equipment, though many AHJs permit it under this provision. This proposal is meant toaddress the issue head-on, and provide additional safety measures that are not explicitly in force today.Furthermore, many jurisdictions that have allowed ranges to be installed for limited cooking purposes, are now sayingthat no amount of butter or oil can be used in conjunction with the preparation of food. While we recognize that someamount of grease-laden vapor can be produced by this activity, we also know that it is very difficult, if not impossible tocook items like eggs or grilled cheese sandwiches without any “lubricant”, even in non-stick pans. We are proposing theproven safety measure of a sprinkler head in close proximity of the stove, as well as a nearby fire extinguisher toaddress the fire concern. In addition, a residential hood is required, which will collect much of the cooking vapors andhave the ability to be cleaned.The only place we could find a definition of “Grease laden vapors” has been in a reference to NFPA 96, as 0.01 mgcondensable particulate per hour or a concentration or 0.5 mg/m3 at an exhaust rate of 500 cm. Our concern is that wedon’t know how to measure this in the real world or equate it to a cooking situation. However, we believe that thisdoesn’t completely prohibit any cooking with a lubricant.We equate the situation we are proposing to a similar, yet safer, condition to our own homes. Most of us don’t have thatmuch grease build up over a period of time during normal cooking endeavors. We establish a routine cleaning scheduleto take care of any build-up. This proposal, with the staff supervision requirement, sprinkler coverage and a Class K fireextinguisher add levels of safety that aren’t found in most residential settings.


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Add text to read as follows:Portable cooking equipment, that is not flue connected, used for limited cooking shall not be required to

be protected per 9.2.3 provided it meets the following:(1) the equipment is used for a limited duration not to exceed four hours per day.(2) The portable equipment is electric powered and limited to a 1.5 kw rating(3)* Adequate ventilation must be maintained in the space where the portable cooking equipment is being used.(4) A portable fire extinguisher in accordance with NFPA 10 shall be readily available.(5) The portable cooking equipment shall only be used within smoke compartments that are protected throughout by an

approved, supervised, automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 9.7.The proposal for portable cooking equipment stems from the need of facilities that may be transitioning

from a traditional service model to a Culture Change/Person-centered care model. Similar to hotels where they set uptemporary equipment to cook eggs to order in the dining room, many existing nursing homes would like to do the same;where they can cook breakfast to order for residents and not shuttle food from the main, commercial kitchen.Much of the language for this proposal has been pulled from code summaries and reports on portable cookinginterpretations from other jurisdictions. Our intent was to match what is being done in hotel dining room settings.Section 12.3.2.2/13.3.2.2 and 12.7.2.4/13.2.7.4 states that “portable equipment not flue-connected” does not need to beprotected per 9.2.3.The restriction to electrical appliances and appliances that can be easily moved and stored is to limit the type and size ofthe equipment to smaller, residential-style appliances, and limit the amount of food that can be realistically prepared atone time (like for breakfast). The intent of limiting the duration of cooking is so that this style of food preparation islimited to one mealtime per day. However, since slow-cookers often must run for 6 to 8 hours, we felt the need toexempt them from the duration.Note: Supporting material is available for review at NFPA Headquarters.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #53 SAF-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________John F. Bender, UL LLC

Within a smoke compartment, where residential or commercial cooking equipment is used to preparemeals for 30 or fewer persons, one cooking facility shall be permitted to be open to the corridor, provided that all of thefollowing conditions are met:

(1) The portion of the health care facility served by the cooking facility is limited to 30 beds and is separated from otherportions of the health care facility by a smoke barrier constructed in accordance with 18.3.7.3, 18.3.7.6, and 18.3.7.8.

(2) The cooktop or range is equipped with a range hood of a width at least equal to the width of the cooking surface,with grease baffles or other grease-collecting and cleanout capability.

(3)*The hood systems have a minimum airflow of 500 cfm (14,000 L/min).(4) The hood systems that are not ducted to the exterior additionally have a charcoal filter to remove smoke and odor.(5) The cooktop or range complies with all of the following:(a) The cooktop or range is protected with a fire suppression system listed in accordance with ANSI/UL 300,

, or is testedand meets all requirements of UL 300A, , inaccordance with the applicable testing document’s scope.

Add ANSI approval designation to ANSI/UL 300.


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_______________________________________________________________________________________________Vince Baclawski, National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)

Revise text:

(11)* Not less than two AC-powered photoelectric smoke alarms, interconnected in accordance with 9.6.2.10.3,equipped with a silence feature, and in accordance with NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, are locatednot closer than 20 ft (6.1 m) from the cooktop or range. Smoke alarms or smoke detectors shall be installed inaccordance with 9.6.2.10 and shall comply with the following requirements:(a) Smoke alarms installed between 10 ft and 20 ft of a stationary or fixed cooking appliance shall be photoelectrictechnology or be ionization technology equipped with an alarm-silencing means.(b) Smoke alarms shall not be installed less than 10 ft from a permanently installed cooking appliance.(c) Photoelectric smoke alarms shall be allowed to be installed between 6 feet and 10 feet of a permanently installedcooking appliance when the 10 ft area of exclusion would prohibit the placement of a smoke alarm required by othersections of the code.

(12) No smoke detector is located less than 20 ft (6.1 m) from the cooktop or range.This proposal is intended to:

1. Correct a technical flaw in the 2012 requirements2. Reduce nuisance alarms attributed to locating smoke alarms or smoke detectors in close proximity to cookingappliances and bathrooms in which steam is produced.The 2012 requirements are in technical conflict with the smoke detection location requirements near cooking applianceswhich are based on numerous reports including the Task Group Report - Minimum Performance Requirements forSmoke Alarm Detection Technology - February 22, 2008 and are consistent with similar requirements included in the2010 edition of NFPA 72. The 2012 requirements prohibit UL 268 system-connected smoke detectors from beinginstalled even though they are permitted by NFPA 72. Furthermore all UL 268 smoke detectors utilize microprocessorbased technology that enable the use of algorithms (mathematical calculations) to reduce nuisance alarms whereas themajority of smoke alarms don’t have this capability.

Section 9.6.2.10.1.1 already requires smoke alarms to be installed in accordance with NFPA 72, which theoreticallydescribes where alarms should and should not be installed. As a convenience to the code user, requirements on wheresmoke alarms should not be installed in proximity to permanently installed cooking appliances and steam producingbathrooms will be included in this section.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #331 SAF-HEA



This adds a new section under the Protection from Hazards section to refer users to 9.5 and NFPA 82for these specific hazards. Without this reference it can be inferred that a discharge room where trash is collected at thebottom of a chute could be only 1 hr rated, when it is required to be 2-hr rated. This reference is needed to ensureusers are referred to 82 and 9.5 for these types of specific hazards.


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Add an Exception as follows:(1) Spaces shall be permitted to be unlimited in area and open to the corridor, provided that all of the following criteria

are met:(a)* The spaces are not used for patient sleeping rooms, treatment rooms, or hazardous areas.

Exception: Treatment rooms used as physical therapy and occupational therapy spaces.

[(b) through (d) remain unchanged]Physical therapy and occupational therapy spaces create no greater risk to occupants than do other

spaces that are allowed to be open to corridors.Many newer facility models provide physical and occupational therapy settings in close proximity to resident sleepingareas to facilitate ease of access and encourage utilization. When these areas are protected as required by 18.3.6.1 (1)(b) – (d), adequate detection, alarm, and suppression of potential fire situations is provided.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #239 SAF-HEA


Add text to read as follows:For spaces that are permitted to be open to the corridor by 18.3.6.1, partitions between the permitted open

space and the corridor may be omitted when the boundary of the corridor is identified or defined by one of the following:(1) A bulkhead of soffit, parallel to the length and aligned with the edge of the corridor, projecting at least 4” (102 mm)

below the corridor ceiling level.(2) A change in color, material or texture of the flooring at the edge of the corridor.(3) A partial height wall, planter or railing, running parallel to the length of the corridor and aligned with the edge of the

corridor.(4) Provide an operational or emergency plan, in conjunction with a floor plan diagram identifying the required clear

corridor area and route to exit, that requires staff to maintain the clear, unobstructed corridor width at all times.This proposal is being submitted by the National Life Safety Code Task Force which consists of

representatives from all major stakeholder organizations in Long-Term Care.As long-term care settings move toward more residential settings, living spaces open to the corridor help to provide amore welcoming and comfortable feeling.Long and confusing corridors can cause disorientation, especially in residents with dementia. When rooms that arepermitted to be open to the corridor are not defined by two parallel walls, this can significantly increase visibilitythroughout the care area or household, which is beneficial for both residents and staff. Similarly, being able to see one’sbedroom from the shared social spaces makes it more likely residents will return to their own room, rather than enteringthe rooms of others in an attempt to find their own room. In addition, the ability to preview who is in a space and whatactivity is occurring can encourage more residents to join social activities, thus improving their mood and quality of life.


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Revise text to read as follows:18.3.6.3.1 Doors, including doors to nurse servers and pass-thru openings, protecting corridor openings shall be

constructed to resist the passage of smoke, and the following also shall apply :(1) Compliance with NFPA 80, , shall not be required.(2) For other than doors protecting pass thru openings, a clearance between the bottom of the door and the floor

covering not exceeding 1 in. (25 mm) shall be permitted for corridor doors.(3) For doors protecting pass thru openings, a clearance between the bottom of the door and the sill not exceeding 1/8

inch (3.18mm) shall be permitted.(3 ) ( 4) Doors to toilet rooms, bathrooms, shower rooms, sink closets, and similar auxiliary spaces that do not contain

flammable or combustible material shall not be required to be constructed to resist the passage of smoke.The first change will eliminate the confusion about the applicability of these requirements to nurse

servers and pass-thru openings by taking the language that is currently in the annex in reference to nurse servers andplacing it directly in the Code. The second change clarifies the requirements for the protection of pass-thru openings,which are currently not discussed.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #264 SAF-HEA


Revise text to read as follows:18.3.7.2(2) Areas that do not contain health care occupancy that are separated from the health care occupancy by a

vertical fire barrier complying with 7.2.4.3.This change eliminates the confusion that the slab can be classified as the barrier. The reference is

specific to the horizontal exit fire barrier and as such is required to be vertical; however, many apply this requirementincorrectly by stating that the horizontal slab can serve as the separating barrier.


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Revise to read:(4) Stories that do not contain a health care occupancy and that are one story below the health care occupancy that

meet all of the following:(a) The story below is separated from the story containing the health care occupancy by a minimum 2-hour fire

resistance rated fire barrier that meet all the requirements of Section 8.3.(b) The story below is protected by automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 9.7.

(4) (5) Stories located directly below a health care occupancy where such stories house mechanical equipment onlyand are separated from the story above by 2-hour fire resistance–rated construction

Though proposals similar to this have been submitted in previous cycles, this proposal attempts to addone safeguard not previously proposed: sprinkler protection. Without this requirement, it would be possible to convertan existing non-sprinklered business occupancy into a sprinklered health care occupancy, without having the floor belowsprinkler protected. That would potentially allow an uncontrolled fire where products of combustion from a fire on thefloor below would migrate to the upper floor. Installing sprinkler protection in conjunction with a 2-hour fire resistancerated floor/ceiling assembly constructed and protected in accordance Section 8.3, reduces that rise.

Presently there is no guidance in Chapter 18 or 38 on regulations regarding construction of the smoke barrier on thefloor below, when that floor is business occupancy or other non-health care occupancies. For example, is the intent tolimit size of the smoke compartment to 22,500 sq ft? If so, why? Does the 200 foot travel distance apply? It should notbecause barriers have not been constructed to facilitate relocation/defend in place on that floor. Are smoke dampersrequired at duct penetration of smoke barriers? If they are, why should they as they are not required on patient carefloors. Also one smoke compartment within the non-health care occupancy may overlap several smoke compartmentson the upper floor as the smoke barriers are not vertically aligned potentially impacting several smoke compartments. Ifthe committee wishes to maintain this requirement, then requirements should be created as general requirementsregardless of the occupancy classification of the floor below health care or created in all other occupancy chaptersdepending on the hazard posed by those occupancies so designers understand what is required for these floors.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #374 SAF-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________William E. Koffel, Koffel Associates, Inc.

Add a new section to read:For any smoke compartment that does not exceed 1000 ft2 (93m2) in gross

area, it shall be demonstrated by calculation or test that tenable conditions are maintained within the smokecompartment for a period of 30 minutes when the exposing space on the other side of the smoke barrier creating thesmoke compartment is subjected to the maximum expected fire conditions.

Some of the new designs for long term care facilities have resulted in some small smokecompartments. A small smoke compartment may not provide sufficient volume to maintain tenable conditions for thepatients that are relocated into the smoke compartment. The proposed text comes from Section 7.2.12.3.2 for areas ofrefuge. The proposed area should possibly be increased from the area proposed for areas of refuge. The area of refugeprovisions only require maintaining tenability for a period of 15 minutes. A period of 30 minutes has been proposedbased upon estimated duration of some recent health care fire incidents (approximately 20 minutes) and a deisre tominimize further movement of the patients.


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_______________________________________________________________________________________________Keith E. Pardoe, Door and Hardware Institute

Revise to read:Doors in smoke barriers shall be substantial doors, such as nonrated 1 3⁄4 in. (44 mm) thick, solid-bonded

wood-core doors, or shall be of construction that resists fire for a minimum of 20 minutes, and shall meet the followingrequirements:

The insertion of the word "nonrated" clarifies that the doors specified in 18.3.7.6 are not required to belabeled fire doors and are therefore not required to comply with NFPA 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Other OpeningProtectives.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #445 SAF-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________John A. Rickard, Katus, LLC


There is currently no standard for the height of the vision panel. Some vision panel locations wouldrender the panel unusable. This language is consistent with the 2010 Federal ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Itmay also be useful to set a minimum height for the top of the vision panel.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #31 SAF-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Max Hauth, Hauth Health Care Consultants, Inc.Revise text to read as follows:

(3) Roller latches demonstrated to keep the door closed against a force of 5 lbf (22 N) shall be permitted.CMS does not allow the use of roller latches on patient/resident rooms.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #368 SAF-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________Joseph M. DeRosier, University of Michigan

Revise to read:The fire resistance rating of chute charging service opening rooms shall not be required to exceed 1 hour.

Revised language is consistent with NFPA 82 (see section 5.2.5).


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Revise to read:Any rubbish waste chute shall discharge into a trash collection chute discharge room used for no other

purpose than collection of waste and shall be protected in accordance with Section 8.7 and 9.5.This change will ensure that the chute discharge room is properly rated in accordance with NFPA 82.

Editorial comments are made to keep terminology consistent with NFPA 82 terminology. This proposal is tied to achange proposed for 8.7. This change is necessary for consistency between the NFPA documents.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #369 SAF-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________Joseph M. DeRosier, University of Michigan

Revise to read:Any rubbish chute shall discharge into a trash collection a chute discharge room used for no other purpose

and shall be protected in accordance with Section 8.7.To be consistent with language in NFPA 82 (see section 5.2.4). There also is no need to distinguish

between a rubbish chute from a laundry chute as the intent should be to prevent chute discharge rooms from being usedfor anything other than a discharge room, and what the chute serves is irrelevant, given the hazard is the spread ofsmoke and heat from a fire in a (any) discharge room.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #204 SAF-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________Saundra J. Stevens, Adams County Regional Medical Center

Add a new item number to read:(7) Activation of evacuation notification device

The Fire Safety Plan outlines actions necessary to enable prompt and effective response of healthcare personnel. Activating the evacuation notification device to designate a room as evacuated saves time. Thisnotification provides non-verbal information to all responders regarding the evacuation status of a room. Using thisinformation, first responders can quickly assess an emergency situation and immediately determine where to focus theirefforts.


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Add a new section to read:18.7.2.3.4 The corridor-side of each patient or resident room door opening shall be provided with an evacuation status

indicating device meeting all of the following:(a) The device shall require a deliberate action to expose the symbol verifying that the room occupants have been

evacuated.(b) The device shall be positioned on the door leaf, the door frame, or a wall section adjacent to the door opening and

aligned with door handle and not more than 12 in. (305 mm) horizontal distance from the door opening.(c) The device shall be positioned in the height range of 48 in. to 60 in. (1220 mm to 1525 mm) above the finished

floor surface.(d) The device shall remain visible and not be obstructed.(e) The symbol used to indicate room evacuation status shall be addressed in the fire safety plan required by 18.7.2.2.(f) Instruction relative to use of the room evacuation status devices shall be made part of the fire procedures required

by 18.7.2.Lack of a universal communication system results in a time-consuming and disorganized evacuation of

healthcare facilities in emergency situations. During a facility fire, closed doors can thwart a quick and efficientevacuation. This is because staff members often must check rooms with closed doors only to find they have alreadybeen evacuated, resulting in a critical loss of evacuation time. Proposal 18.7.2.3.4 recommends placement of a visibleevacuation notification device immediately next to the patient or resident room door opening. The use of such a devicewill save time. When evacuating a patient from their room, a staff member will simply pull the evacuation notificationdevice to designate the room as evacuated. Upon arrival, first responders will not squander time searching for a staffmember to apprise them of what areas have been evacuated. Rather, first responders can quickly assess the situationand where to focus their efforts by viewing the evacuation devices on the wall. Various healthcare facilities around thecountry use trash bags, pillow cases, pillows, chalk, orange tags, etc., to identify evacuated rooms. This emphasizes avital need for a better communication system in an evacuation emergency to identify rooms that have been evacuatedand rooms that have not.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #410 SAF-HEA


Add a new section to read:Door openings shall be inspected in accordance with Section 7.2.1.15, Inspection of

Door Openings.In the 2012 edition of the NFPA 101, Section 7.2.1.15, Inspection of Door Openings was revised from

requiring the inspection of all door assemblies where the door leaves where required to swing in the direction of egresstravel to Access-Controlled Egress Door Assemblies, Electrically-Controlled Egress Door Assemblies, Doors withSpecial Locking Arrangements, and doors equipped with fire exit hardware or panic hardware. A new requirement toinspect smoke door assemblies in accordance with NFPA 105, Standard for Smoke Doors and Other OpeningProtectives was also added in the 2012 edition.


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_______________________________________________________________________________________________Kenneth E. Bush, Maryland State Fire Marshals Office

Add a new 18.7.3.3 to state as follows:For smoke compartments having spaces not separated from the corridor by partitions, a written floor plan shall be

provided to indicate the location of all required means of egress corridors in that smoke compartment.Past attempts to define means of egress corridors have not resulted in a clear definition for code users.

The purpose of this requirement would be to have available a written indication of the location for required corridors, asproposed by the building designer and/or user and approved by the AHJ. These designated corridor locations can beheld or modified as necessary for future planning and inspection use, and would serve to eliminate the confusionbetween non-corridor portions of the means of egress in rooms and the actual path of egress corridor travel affectingmany other building protection features, including width, lighting, egress marking, interior finish requirements, andfurnishing and decoration types and locations. The arrangement and protection of areas permitted to be open to thecorridor are currently addressed in other sections of this Code, and it is assumed that such levels of protection would beplanned and maintained for these open spaces. The second sentence of the proposed Annex Note is intended to permitthis information to be noted on fire safety plans which are used for other purposes, or may be drawn for more than onesmoke compartment of the building. There is no need to designate such corridors in locations where the corridors aredefined by fixed partitions.


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_______________________________________________________________________________________________Marcelo M. Hirschler, GBH International

Revise text to read as follows:Combustible decorations shall be prohibited in any health care occupancy, unless one of the following criteria

is met:

(2) The decorations meet the requirements flame propagation performance criteria contained in Test Method 1 or TestMethod 2, as appropriate, of NFPA 701, .

In 1989 the NFPA Technical Committee on Fire Tests eliminated the so-called “small-scale test” fromNFPA 701 because the results had been shown not to represent a fire performance that corresponded to whathappened in real scale. Instead of the “small-scale test” NFPA 701 now (and for over 20 years) contains two tests (Test1 and Test 2), which apply to materials as indicated by the text of NFPA 701 (2010) that is shown at the bottom of thispublic input.

However, a large number of manufacturers continue stating that the materials or products that they sell have beentested to NFPA 701, when they really mean the pre-1989 small-scale test in NFPA 701. That test no longer exists andmaterials or products meeting that test do not exhibit acceptable fire performance.

Text of NFPA 701 (2010):1.1.1.1 Test Method 1 shall apply to fabrics or other materials used in curtains, draperies, or other window treatments.

Vinyl-coated fabric blackout linings shall be tested according to Test Method 2.1.1.1.2 Test Method 1 shall apply to single-layer fabrics and to multilayer curtain and drapery assemblies in which the

layers are fastened together by sewing or other means. Vinyl-coated fabric blackout linings shall be tested according toTest Method 2.

1.1.1.3 Test Method 1 shall apply to specimens having an areal density less than or equal to 700 g/m2 (21 oz/yd2),except where Test Method 2 is required to be used by 1.1.2.

1.1.2.1 Test Method 2 (flat specimen configuration) shall be used for fabrics, including multilayered fabrics, films, andplastic blinds, with or without reinforcement or backing, with areal densities greater than 700 g/m2 (21 oz/yd2).

1.1.2.2 Test Method 2 shall be used for testing vinyl-coated fabric blackout linings and lined draperies using avinyl-coated fabric blackout lining.

1.1.2.3 Test Method 2 shall be used for testing plastic films, with or without reinforcement or backing, when used fordecorative or other purposes inside a building or as temporary or permanent enclosures for buildings underconstruction.

1.1.2.4 Test Method 2 shall apply to fabrics used in the assembly of awnings, tents, tarps, and similar architecturalfabric structures and banners.

Note also the following from the text of NFPA 701 (2010):1.2* Purpose.1.2.1 The purpose of Test Methods 1 and 2 shall be to assess the propagation of flame beyond the area exposed to

the ignition source.A.1.1 A small-scale test method appeared in NFPA 701 until the 1989 edition. It was eliminated from the test method

because it has been shown that materials that “pass” the test do not necessarily exhibit a fire performance that isacceptable. The test was not reproducible for many types of fabrics and could not predict actual full-scale performance.It should not, therefore, be used.

A.1.1.1 For the purposes of Test Method 1, the terms curtains, draperies, or other types of window treatments, whereused, should include, but not be limited to, the following items:

(1) Window curtains(2) Stage or theater curtains(3) Vertical folding shades(4) Roll-type window shades(5) Hospital privacy curtains(6) Window draperies(7) Fabric shades or blinds(8) Polyvinyl chloride blinds(9) Horizontal folding shades


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 101(10) SwagsExamples of textile items other than window treatments to which Test Method 1 applies include:(1) Table skirts(2) Table linens(3) Display booth separators(4) Textile wall hangings(5) Decorative event tent linings not used in the assembly of a tent

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #85 SAF-HEA


Revise text as follows: Portable space-heating devices shall be prohibited in all health care

occupancies, unless both of the following criteria are met:(1) Such devices are permitted to be used only in nonsleeping staff and employee areas which are located in smoke

compartments that do not contain patient sleeping or patient treatment areas. (2) The heating elements of such devicesdo not exceed 212°F (100°C).

It is not clear from the current language whether portable space-heating devices are allowed in patienttreatment areas that do not contain any patient sleeping rooms. Portable space-heating devices present a hazard topatients sleeping and those receiving treatment and who may need assistance to evacuate the area in case of a fire.


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separation.19.1.3.34* Sections of health care facilities shall be permitted to be classified as other occupancies, provided that theymeet all of the following conditions:(1)They are not intended to provide services simultaneously for four or more inpatients for purposes of housing,treatment, or customary access by inpatients incapable of se lf-preservation.(2) They are separated from areas of health care occupancies by construction having a minimum 2-hour fire resistancerating in accordance with Chapter 8.(3 )For other than previously approved occupancy separation arrangements, the entire building is protected throughoutby an approved, supervised automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 9.7.19.1.3.45 Contiguous Non-Health Care Occupancies.19.1.3.45.1* Ambulatory care facilities, medical clinics, and similar facilities that are contiguous to health careoccupancies, but are primarily intended to provide outpatient services, shall be permitted to be classified as businessoccupancies or ambulatory health care facilities, provided that the facilities are separated from the health careoccupancy by not less than 2-hour fire resistance–rated construction, and the facility is not intended to provide servicessimultaneously for four or more inpatients who are litterborne.19.1.3.45.2 Ambulatory care facilities, medical clinics, and similar facilities that are contiguous to health careoccupancies shall be permitted to be used for diagnostic and treatment services of inpatients who are capable ofself-preservation.19.1.3.56 Where separated occupancies provisions are used in accordance with either 19.1.3.3 or 19.1.3.4, the moststringent construction type shall be provided throughout the building, unless a 2-hour separation is provided inaccordance with 8.2.1.3, in which case the construction type shall be determined as follows:(1) The construction type and supporting construction of the health care occupancy shall be based on the story on whichit is located in the building in accordance with the provisions of 19.1.6 and Table 19.1.6.1.(2 )The construction type of the areas of the building enclosing the other occupancies shall be based on the applicableoccupancy chapters of this Code.19.1.3.67 All means of egress from health care occupancies that traverse non-health care spaces shall conform to therequirements of this Code for health care occupancies, unless otherwise permitted by 19.1.3.7.19.1.3.78 Exit through a horizontal exit into other contiguous occupancies that do not conform to health care egressprovisions, but that do comply with requirements set forth in the appropriate occupancy chapter of this Code, shall bepermitted, provided that both of the following criteria apply:(1) The occupancy does not contain high hazard contents.(2) The horizontal exit complies with the requirements of 19.2.2.5.19.1.3.89 Egress provisions for areas of health care facilities that correspond to other occupancies shall meet thecorresponding requirements of this Code for such occupancies, and, where the clinical needs of the occupantnecessitate the locking of means of egress, staff shall be present for the supervised release of occupants during alltimes of use.19.1.3.910 Auditoriums, chapels, staff residential areas, or other occupancies provided in connection with health carefacilities shall have means of egress provided in accordance with other applicable sections of this Code.19.1.3.1011 Any area with a hazard of contents classified higher than that of the health care occupancy and located inthe same building shall be protected as required by 19.3.2.19.1.3.1112 Non-health care–related occupancies classified as containing high hazard contents shall not be permittedin buildings housing health care occupancies.

A public input has been submitted to add a new requirement to 6.1.14.4.5 to permit atriums to be usedas an occupancy separation, should an occupancy so choose, provided the atrium is designed in accordance with 8.6.7and is physicall separated from adjacent areas. Since atriums have always permitted to serve in lieu of up to 2 hrvertical openings protection when the all the provisions of 8.6.7 are met, it seems logical that an atrium should also beused as an occupancy separation. This concept was proposed during the 2012 cycle, but was rejected by the TC FUNbecause it lacked some needed safeguards. As a result, the requirement that the atrium be physically separate fromadjacent spaces was added. Nothing precludes individual occupancies from prescribing additional safeguards, so it the


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 101TC HEA wishes to further enhance the base proposal within chapters 16 and 17, it's free to do so. Note: similarproposals have been submitted for Assembly, Business, Educational, Day Care and Ambulatory Health Careoccupancies.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #83 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:Interior nonbearing walls required to have a minimum 2-hour fire resistance rating of 2 hours or less shall be

permitted to be of fire-retardant-treated wood enclosed within noncombustible or limited-combustible materials, providedthat such walls are not used as shaft enclosures.

The proposed changes will make these sections consistent with section 4.3.2.11.2 of NFPA 220-2012and with the wording in the 2006 edition of NFPA 101. These sections in NFPA 101 were editorially revised for the 2009edition and carried forth to the 2012 edition but the revision inadvertently made a technical change without anysubstantiation. There is no rational explanation for why NFPA 101 should be so much more restrictive than NFPA 220in the use of FRTW in interior nonbearing walls.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #244 SAF-HEA


Add text to read as follows:19.2.2.2.11 Means of egress doors in existing health care facilities that provide care for patientswho are cognitively impaired and have a risk of elopement are not required to be clearly recognizable provided theymeet all the following conditions:

(a) Exits shall be marked in accordance with provisions of 7.10.1.2.1.(b) Door releasing hardware shall comply with Section 19.2.2.2.4.(c) Any door opening hardware on the door must be a distinctive color that is easily discernible by staff and others who

are capable of self-preservation.(d) All staff, including newly hired and temporary employees hired for one shift, shall receive orientation of operation

for the egress door.This proposal has arisen out of the need to create a space that is safe, supportive and respectful for

residents with Alzheimer’s, dementia and other age-related conditions. Oftentimes, these residents will “wander,” andwhen encountering a door, the tendency to attempt to flee increases. By altering the obvious appearance of a door, withthe measures outlined in the proposal, it deters the resident, while still allowing a safe environment for escape andrescue in case of an emergency. It is assumed that the staff will have the training, knowledge and experience to be ableto safely exit, as well as guide visitors who may be on the unit.


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Insert 19.2.2.2.7* and renumber the existing 19.2.2.2.7 and the rest of the section. Also add theannex items shown in a separate proposal.19.2.2.2.7* Doors permitted to be locked in accordance with 19.2.2.2.5.1 shall be permitted to have murals on theegress doors to disguise the doors provided all of the following are met:

1. Staff can readily unlock the doors at all times in accordance with 19.2.2.2.6.2.* The door releasing hardware, where provided, is clearly visible and readily accessible for staff use.3.* Door windows and door hardware, other than door releasing hardware, shall be permitted to be covered by the

murals.4. The murals shall not impair the operation of the doors.

In some Healthcare Occupancies, especially nursing homes, the use of murals to disguise doors hasbeen found to be beneficial for certain patient populations. Where exit doors or exit access doors within a Health CareOccupancy are locked, murals will not affect the ability of patients (or visitors) to egress because in a locked area thedoors must always be unlocked by staff. It does not reduce the level of safety intended by NFPA 101 when these doorsare camouflaged, because the staff members know the locations of the doors, and can readily open the doors at alltimes. Therefore, in an area within a Health Care Occupancy where (a) doors are permitted to be locked in the directionof egress travel in accordance with section 19.2.2.2.5.1 due to the clinical needs of patients, and (b) staff know thelocations of all disguised doors, and (c) staff can readily open the disguised doors at all times, then installing murals ondoors results does not reduce the level of safety below that which would be provided if the doors were not disguised.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #265 SAF-HEA


Delete the following text:Horizontal-sliding doors, as permitted by 7.2.1.14, that are not automatic-closing shall be limited to a

single leaf and shall have a latch or other mechanism that ensures that the doors will not rebound into a partially openposition if forcefully closed.

Paragraph 7.2.1.14 is specific to accordion horizontal sliding doors and requires that the door must slidewhen pushed in the direction of egress, which inherently requires a motor of some form to operate. This is in directopposition to the fact that 19.2.2.10.1 is specific to doors that are not automatic closing. I believe this was an attempt toensure that sliding corridor doors are positive latching but an incorrect reference in Chapter 7 was pulled.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #459 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:1 Every habitable patient sleeping or treatment room shall have an exit access door leading directly to an

exit access corridor, unless otherwise provided in 19.2.5.6.2, 19.2.5.6.3, and 19.2.5.6.4.Please refer to the explanation offered for the same revision in Chapter 18.


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Add text to read as follows:19.2.5.7.1.5 When measuring the areas of suites, the measurement shall be a gross measurement of all areas serving



_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #173 SAF-HEA


Revise text to read:19.2.5.7.2.1 Sleeping Suite Arrangement Supervision.

(A)* Occupants of habitable rooms within sleeping suites shall have exit access to a corridor complying with 19.3.6, or toa horizontal exit, directly from the suite.(B) Where two or more exit access doors are required from the suite by 19.2.5.5.1, one of the exit access doors shall bepermitted to be directly to an exit stair, exit passageway, or exit door to the exterior.(C) Sleeping suites shall be provided with constant staff supervision within the suite.(D B) Sleeping suites shall be arranged in accordance with one of the following:(1)* Patient sleeping rooms within sleeping suites shall provide one of the following:(a) The patient sleeping rooms shall be arranged to allow for direct supervision from a normally attended location withinthe suite, such as is provided by glass walls, and cubicle curtains shall be permitted.(b) Any patient sleeping rooms without the direct supervision required by 19.2.5.7.2.1(B)(1)(a) shall be provided withsmoke detection in accordance with Section 9.6 and 19.3.4.(2) Sleeping suites shall be provided with a total coverage (complete) automatic smoke detection system in accordancewith 9.6.2.9 and 19.3.4.

Confusion in suite rules exist as a result of the changes made to the last edition. I have attached adocument showing the intended changes for all suite rules due to problems trying to make the changes online all at onetime. These were all made but with essentially no substantiation except to coordinate the requirements. The changesprovided is an attempt to clarify the changes of last cycle by placing them in the correct locations without attempting torequire anything new for the most part. I hope to make the changes to Chapter 18 time permitting, but ..... This was myintended negative comment (for chapter 18 but applies to 19 as well) that was never submitted on the changes madelast cycle (Comment 101-196) to explain the need for the changes. I submit this in lieu of rewriting the substantiation.The comment permits an egress path from a suite to go to a horizontal exit in lieu of an access corridor, which isacceptable. However, the new criterion for when two or more exit access doors is required from a suite is misplacedwhen located in this section. In addition, as written , it applies only to “rooms” that required two exit access doors and itdoes not apply to suites that require two exit access doors. Specifically, new paragraph 18.2.5.7.2.1(B) speaks to thenew rules when the suite requires more than one exit access door, but those requirements are already in 18.2.5.7.2.2.(See 18.2.5.7.2.2 (B) & (C)). New paragraph 18.2.5.7.2.1 (B) references 18.2.5.5.1, which is the requirement for a“room” that requires two exit access doors and not a “suite” that requires two exit access doors. If this comment isaccepted as written, the intent to allow “suites” to have one of the exit access doors lead to an exit stair, exitpassageway, or exit door to the exterior, will not apply to “suites” as intended. The requirements for when suites requiremore than one exit access door is covered in 18.2.5.7.2.2. Since the requirements of 18.2.5.7.2.2 (B) and (C) have notbeen changed as they should have been to meet the intent of this comment, it appears that accepting this commentwould actually create more confusion that it would help by creating a conflict in the code. The same would hold true forthe new criteria in 18.2.5.7.3.1 and the existing chapter 19 requirement.Note: Supporting materials being sentNo additional supporting materials were identified as being sent to NFPA


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Revise to read:(A)* Occupants of habitable patient sleeping or treatment rooms within sleeping suites shall have exit access to a

corridor complying with 19.3.6, or to a horizontal exit, directly from the suite.Please refer to the explanation offered for the same revision in Chapter 18.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #394 SAF-HEA


Add a new section to read:The intent of this provision is where a limited amount of sleeping rooms are not provided with direct

supervision within a suite, such as isolation rooms or rooms around the corner from the nurse’s station, it is permitted toprovide smoke detection in lieu of direct supervision. Where the majority of sleeping rooms in a suite are not providedwith direct supervision from a constantly attended location the provisions of 19.2.5.7.2.1(D)(2) must be met.

The proposed annex note is intended to clarify the requirements for direct supervision of patientsleeping rooms and what alternative measures are permitted under what circumstances and details when smokedetection is required in patient sleeping rooms only vs. throughout the suite. For example, if all sleeping rooms in a suitewere not provided with visual supervision, a designer could provide smoke detection in every patient sleeping room andmeet the requirements of 19.2.5.7.2.1(D)(1)(b). It is understood the intent of the code in this instance is for the entiresuite to be provided with smoke detection. If that is not the intent of the code, why would a design professional design asuite with total coverage automatic smoke detection when providing smoke detection in patient sleeping rooms onlymeets the sleeping suite arrangement requirements of the Code?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #174 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:19.2.5.7.2.2 Sleeping Suite Number of Means of Egress.(A)* Sleeping suites shall have exit access to a corridor complying with 19.3.6, or to a horizontal exit, directly from the

suite.(B) Sleeping suites of more than 1000 ft2 (93 m2) shall have not less than two exit access doors remotely located from

each other.(B)* One means of egress from the suite shall be directly to a corridor complying with 19.3.6.(C)* For suites requiring two means of egress exit access doors, one means of egress from the suite exit access doors

shall be permitted to be into another to one of the following:(1) An exit stair.(2) An exit passageway.(3) An exit door to the exterior.(4) Another suite, provided that the separation between the suites complies with the corridor requirements of 19.3.6.2

through 19.3.6.5.See other proposals for clarification of suite requirements. No intended technical changes have been

made.


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Revise to read:(A) Travel distance between any point in a sleeping suite and an exit access corridor door or a horizontal exit door from

that suite shall not exceed 100 ft (30 m).Coordination with other proposals to clarify suite requirements. No technical changes intended.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #178 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:19.2.5.7.3 Patient Care Non-Sleeping Suites. Non-sleeping suites shall be in accordance with the following:(1) Non-sleeping suites for patient care shall comply with the provisions of 19.2.5.7.3.1 through 19.2.5.7.3.4 3.(2 )Non-sleeping suites not for patient care shall comply with the provisions of 19.2.5.7.419.2.5.7.3.1 Patient Care Non-Sleeping Suite Arrangement Means of Egress.(A) Occupants of habitable rooms withinNon Patient care non-sleeping suites shall have exit access to a corridor

complying with 19.3.6, or to a horizontal exit, directly from the suite.19.2.5.7.3.2 Patient Care Non-Sleeping Suite Number of Means of Egress.

(B) Where two or more exit access doors are required from the suite by 19.2.5.5.2, one of the exit access doors shallbe permitted to be directly to an exit stair, exit passageway, or exit door to the exterior.Patient care non-sleeping suites of more than 2500 ft2 (230 m2) shall have not less than two exit access doors remotelylocated from each other.(B)* One

(C) One means of egress from the suite shall be directly to a corridor complying with 19.3.6.(D)* For suites requiring two means of egress exit access doors, one means of egress from the suite exit access doors

shall be permitted to be into another to one of the following:(1) An exit stair.(2) An exit passageway.(3) An exit door to the exterior.(4) Another suite, provided that the separation between the suites complies with the corridor requirements of 19.3.6.2

through 19.3.6.5.19.2.5.7.3.2 Patient Care Non-Sleeping Suite Maximum Size. Non-sleeping suites shall not exceed 10,000 ft2 (930

m2).19.2.5.7.3.3 Patient Care Non-Sleeping Suite Travel Distance.(A) Travel distance within a non-sleeping suite to an exit access corridor door or horizontal exit door from the suite

shall not exceed 100 ft (30 m).(B) Travel distance between any point in a non-sleeping suite and an exit shall not exceed the following:(1) 150 ft (46 m) if the building is not protected throughout by an approved electrically supervised sprinkler system

complying with 19.3.5.7(2) 200 ft (61 m) if the building is protected throughout by an approved electrically supervised sprinkler system

complying with 19.3.5.7Coordinating suite rules. No technical changes intended. Trying to upload document show all changes

in their entirety, but having trouble with the system.


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Revise to read:(A) Occupants of habitable patient treatment rooms within non-sleeping suites shall have exit access to a corridor

complying with 19.3.6, or to a horizontal exit, directly from the suitePlease refer to the explanation offered for the same revision in Chapter 18.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #391 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:Patient Care Non-Sleeping Suite Maximum Size. Non-sleeping suites shall not exceed 10,000 ft2 (930

m2), unless otherwise provided in 19.2.5.7.3.3(A) or 19.2.5.7.3.3(B).(A) Non-sleeping suites greater than 10,000 ft² (930m²) and not exceeding 12,500 ft² (1161 m²) shall be permitted wherethe smoke compartment is protected throughout by one of the following:(1) Approved electrically supervised sprinkler system in accordance with 19.3.5.7 and total coverage (complete)automatic smoke detection in accordance with 9.6.2.9 and 19.3.4(2) Approved electrically supervised sprinkler system protection complying with 19.3.5.8(B) Non-sleeping suites greater than 12,500 ft² (1161 m²) and not exceeding 15,000 ft² (1394 m²) shall be permittedwhere both of the following are provided in the suite:(1) Total coverage (complete) automatic smoke detection in accordance with 9.6.2.9 and 19.3.4(2) Approved electrically supervised sprinkler system protection complying with 19.3.5.8

Over the past 15 years the AIA and/or FGI Guidelines for Planning of Healthcare Facilities haveincreased the required room size for exam rooms, treatment rooms, and also require additional rooms such as bariatricrooms. The required area for patient treatment has been increased without increasing the allowable size of non-sleepingsuites. The 10,000 sq ft limitation for non-sleeping suites was in the Code prior to the sprinkler protection requirement innew health care occupancies. The installation of a standard response sprinklers and complete automatic smokedetection OR quick response sprinklers throughout the smoke compartment provides additional life safety to buildingoccupants which justifies the area increase to 12,500 sq ft. The installation of quick response sprinklers and automaticsmoke detection system throughout the suite provides an additional level of life safety which justifies increasing the areato 15,000 sq ft. The justification to increase the size of non-sleeping suites is similar to the increase in sleeping suitesize in recent editions of the Code. Sprinkler protection and smoke detection are very effective measures of providinglife safety to building occupants and address the proposed increase in the area of non-sleeping suites.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #225 SAF-HEA


Revise text to read as follows:19.2.6.2.1 The travel distance between any point in a room and an exit or door leading to an adjacent smokecompartment shall not exceed 150 ft (46 m), unless otherwise permitted by 19.2.6.2.2.

Health care occupancies use smoke compartments as a means of defending in place. The traveldistance to a smoke barrier should be considered equivalent to the travel distance to an exit.


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Revise to read:Discharge from exits shall be arranged in accordance with Section 7.7.


There are situations in healthcare in which patients need to be kept in staff control if they need to exitthe building such as vulnerable, behavioral, highly infectious, forensic and detained patient populations. On manyhealthcare campuses the public way could be a great distance away from the actual healthcare facility (some havereported up to a mile). The 50 s.f. was determined by multiplying the length and width of a typical stretcher and allowingfor access on at least one side. this would assume full occupancy at worst case scenario. In reality, not all patientswould be on a stretcher, many would be in wheelchairs, many would be ambulatory requiring less square feet. The 50s.f. also is consistent with other legacy codes that allowed this in healthcare facilities for many years.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #433 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:Unprotected openings in accordance with 8.6.6 shall not be permitted where the entire building is protected

with automatic sprinklers.There appears to be no technical reason why the 3-story opening is not permitted in health care

occupancies. The revision requires the entire building to be protected with automatic sprinklers before this provision isallowed. This is more stringent than the provisions of 8.6.6.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #63 SAF-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________Doug Hohbein, Northcentral Regional Fire Code Development Committee

Add a new section to read:19.3.2.1.1 Where the hazard is severe, the area shall be safeguarded by a fire barrier having a 1-hour fire resistance

rating and shall be provided with an automatic extinguishing system. [see 8.7.1.1(3).]Severe hazards are found in existing health care occupancies and should be protected appropriately.

Several existing occupancies require separation and fire suppression as mandated by 8.7.1.1(3). Health care should beno different.


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Add new sections to read:Corridor Alcoves. Alcoves of less than 50 ft2 (4.6 m2) in corridors used to store materials or equipment

are not considered hazardous areas but are considered areas open to the corridor and shall be protected in accordancewith 18.3.6.1.

Corridor alcoves of less than 50 ft2 (4.6 m2) shall be separated by a straight-line distance of at least 10 ft. (3048 mm)

At present there is no separation required between individual alcoves. A designer could make alcovesof 49 ft2 (4.6 m2) down the corridor separated only by the thickness of a partition (say 4 inches). The 10 ft separationwas picked as a reasonable separation distance as that is the the separation used to separate groups of furniture placedin corridors in section 19.2.3.4(5)(e). If there is no separation distance between alcoves it seems a fire could spread toadjacent alcoves before the sprinklers activate to control the fire.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #480 SAF-HEA



considered as a severe hazard shall be in accordance with Section 8.7 and the provisions of NFPA 99, Health CareFacilities Code NFPA 45, Standard on Fire Protection for Laboratories using Chemicals, applicable to administration,maintenance, and testing.



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Add text to read as follows:Where a residential cooktop or range is used for food warming, limited cooking, activity or therapy

cooking, the equipment shall not be required to be protected in accordance with 9.2.3, and the presence of theequipment shall not require the area to be protected as a hazardous area, when all of the following conditions are met:

(1)* A switch meeting all of the following is provided:(a) A locked switch, or a switch located in a restricted location, is provided that deactivates the cooktop or range.(b) The switch is used to deactivate the cooktop or range whenever the equipment is not under staff supervision.(c) The switch is on a timer, not exceeding a 120-minute capacity, that automatically deactivates the cooktop or range,

independent of staff action.(2) The smoke compartment where the cooktop or range is located is protected throughout by an approved, supervised

automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 9.7.(3) A quick response sprinkler head is located a minimum of 18 inches (457 mm) from the edge of the cooktop or

range and a maximum of 5 feet (1.5 m) from the center of the cooktop or range(4) A Class K, portable fire extinguisher, in accordance with NFPA 10 shall be located within 15 feet (4.6 m) of the

cooktop or range.(5) A residential-style range hood, with grease filter, and equal to the width of the cooktop, shall be provided.



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Add text to read as follows:

Portable cooking equipment, that is not flue connected, used for limited cooking shall not be required tobe protected per 9.2.3 provided it meets the following:

(1) the equipment is used for a limited duration not to exceed four hours per day.(2) The portable equipment is electric powered and limited to a 1.5 kw rating(3)* Adequate ventilation must be maintained in the space where the portable cooking equipment is being used.(4) A portable fire extinguisher in accordance with NFPA 10 shall be readily available.(5) The portable cooking equipment shall only be used within smoke compartments that are protected throughout by an

approved, supervised, automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 9.7.The proposal for portable cooking equipment stems from the need of facilities that may be transitioning


_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #54 SAF-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________John F. Bender, UL LLC



(2) The cooktop or range is equipped with a range hood of a width at least equal to the width of the cooking surface,with grease baffles or other grease-collecting and cleanout capability.

(3)*The hood systems have a minimum airflow of 500 cfm (14,000 L/min).(4) The hood systems that are not ducted to the exterior additionally have a charcoal filter to remove smoke and odor.(5) The cooktop or range complies with all of the following:(a) The cooktop or range is protected with a fire suppression system listed in accordance with ANSI/UL 300,

, or is testedand meets all requirements of UL 300A, , inaccordance with the applicable testing document’s scope.

Add ANSI approval designation to ANSI/UL 300.


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This adds a new section under the Protection from Hazards section to refer users to 9.5 and NFPA 82for these specific hazards. Without this reference it can be inferred that a discharge room where trash is collected at thebottom of a chute could be only 1 hr rated, when it is required to be 2-hr rated. This reference is needed to ensureusers are referred to 82 and 9.5 for these types of specific hazards.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #242 SAF-HEA


Add an Exception to read as follows:(1) Smoke compartments protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance with 19.3.5.7

shall be permitted to have spaces that are unlimited in size and open to the corridor, provided that all of the followingcriteria are met:

(a)* The spaces are not used for patient sleeping rooms, treatment rooms, or hazardous areas.

Exception: Treatment rooms used as physical therapy and occupational therapy spaces.

[Rest of section remains unchanged]Physical therapy and occupational therapy spaces create no greater risk to occupants than do other

spaces that are allowed to be open to corridors.Many newer facility models provide physical and occupational therapy settings in close proximity to resident sleepingareas to facilitate ease of access and encourage utilization.When these areas are protected as required by 18.3.6.1 (1) (b) – (d), adequate detection, alarm, and suppression ofpotential fire situations is provided.


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Add text to read as follows:For spaces that are permitted to be open to the corridor by 18.3.6.1, partitions between the permitted open

space and the corridor may be omitted when the boundary of the corridor is identified or defined by one of the following:(1) A bulkhead of soffit, parallel to the length and aligned with the edge of the corridor, projecting at least 4” (102 mm)

below the corridor ceiling level.(2) A change in color, material or texture of the flooring at the edge of the corridor.(3) A partial height wall, planter or railing, running parallel to the length of the corridor and aligned with the edge of the

corridor.(4) Provide an operational or emergency plan, in conjunction with a floor plan diagram identifying the required clear

corridor area and route to exit, that requires staff to maintain the clear, unobstructed corridor width at all times.This proposal is being submitted by the National Life Safety Code Task Force which consists of

representatives from all major stakeholder organizations in Long-Term Care.As long-term care settings move toward more residential settings, living spaces open to the corridor help to provide amore welcoming and comfortable feeling.Long and confusing corridors can cause disorientation, especially in residents with dementia. When rooms that arepermitted to be open to the corridor are not defined by two parallel walls, this can significantly increase visibilitythroughout the care area or household, which is beneficial for both residents and staff. Similarly, being able to see one’sbedroom from the shared social spaces makes it more likely residents will return to their own room, rather than enteringthe rooms of others in an attempt to find their own room. In addition, the ability to preview who is in a space and whatactivity is occurring can encourage more residents to join social activities, thus improving their mood and quality of life.

Note: Supporting material is available for review at NFPA headquarters.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #396 SAF-HEA


Add new section to read:Compliance with NFPA 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives is not required for these

door assemblies since the doors specified in 19.3.6.3.1 are not fire-rated door assemblies.

The doors specified in 19.3.6.3.1 are of nonrated construction that is designed to resist fire for 20minutes. Nonrated door assemblies are not required to comply with NFPA 80, Standard for Fire Doors and OtherOpening Protectives. In facilities where labeled 20-minute fire doors are installed rather than 1-3/4 in (44 mm) thick,solid-bonded core wood doors, they are required to comply with NFPA 80,even though the Code does not require thedoor assemblies to be labeled 20-minute fire-rated. It is important to make this distinction since the majority of thehardware provisions listed in the subsequent paragraphs are not permitted to be installed on labeled fire doorassemblies.


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Revise text to read as follows:19.3.6.3.1 Doors, including doors to nurse servers and pass-thru openings, protecting corridor openings in other than

required enclosures of vertical openings, exits, or hazardous areas shall be doors constructed to resist the passage ofsmoke and shall be constructed of materials such as the following:

(1) 1 3/4 in. thick, sold-bonded core wood(2) Material that resists fire for a minimum of 20 minutes.

This change will eliminate the confusion about the applicability of these requirements to nurse serversby taking the language that is currently in the annex and placing it directly in the Code. It also clarifies the protection ofpass-thru openings, which are currently not discussed.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #399 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:Doors protecting corridor openings in other than required enclosures of vertical openings, exits, or

hazardous areas shall be nonrated doors constructed to resist the passage of smoke and shall be constructed ofmaterials such as the following:(1) 1 3⁄4 in. (44 mm) thick, solid-bonded core wood(2) Material that resists fire for a minimum of 20 minutes

The insertion of the word "nonrated" helps to clarify that the doors specified in the latter part of19.3.6.3.1 are not required to be fire rated doors.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #451 SAF-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________Robert J. Davidson, Davidson Code Concepts, LLC

Revise to read:(2) Wired Existing wired glass panels in steel frames

As currently worded a new installation of wired glass in steel frames could be installed when the intentis to allow the continued use of an existing installation of wired glass. Calling out one type of product for use isproprietary and wired glass in and of itself is no longer considered an acceptable product for new installation unlesstested and listed as a fire-rated glazing material. The proposed change will allow the continued use of an existinginstallation of wired glass in steel frames.

The change will also provide for correlation with the language found at NFPA 101 Sections 7.2.6.2 , 8.3.3.9, 8.3.3.11(1)and 13.3.1(5)(c) where the language provides for continued use of "existing" installations of wired glass.


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Revise to read:(1) The size of any such smoke compartment shall not exceed 22,500 40,000 ft2 (2100 3719 m2), and the travel

distance from any point to reach a door in the required smoke barrier shall not exceed 200 ft (61 m).This code change updates outdated material. Historically, smoke compartment size has been driven

by the allowable travel distance within the smoke compartment. Past code changes have increased the travel distancewithout a considering smoke compartment size. Secondly, the size of the functional patient areas have increased, butthe occupant load has been reduced.Originally, there was no limit to smoke compartment size, other what was imposed by travel distance. The 22,500square foot requirement was based on the old travel distance requirement of 150 feet, and used it to extrapolate an area(150ft x150ft = 22,500 square feet). This proposal uses the same logic and applies the current 200 foot travel distancemaximum (200ft x200ft), resulting in a 40,000 square foot smoke compartment. This proposal would maintain theexisting requirement that each floor be divided into two smoke compartments. Practically the requirement for 200’ traveldistance within smoke compartments will still drive smaller smoke compartment sizes in some cases.Additionally, rooms that used to house 2-4 patients have been converted to a single patient. Rooms have becomeuniversal in design and flexible for different layouts. This has been codified by the Guidelines for Design andConstruction of Healthcare Facilities which now requires single patient rooms. Our occupant load has consistentlydecreased since this requirement was entered in the LSC. We have re-analyzed this requirement and see the need formuch larger compartments. The larger compartments will increase staff efficiency by allowing units to be containedwithin a single compartment, aid them in the ability to monitor patients without physical barriers between them and thepatient. and will reduce medical errors with the increase in efficiency. In reality, the analysis suggested compartmentsizes up to 100,000 square feet, however the possibility of ever having a single unit needing such space would be rare,then next logical size considered was 52,000 square feet which would be consistent with sprinkler system sizerequirements. In our opinion, 40,000 s.f. is a more consistent number with a typical 36 bed unit and this number stillworks well with the 200 foot travel distance.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #333 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:Existing rubbish Waste chutes, incinerators, and linen chutes shall comply with the provisions of Section 9.5,

unless otherwise specified in 19.5.4.Existing waste chutes or linen chutes, including pneumatic rubbish pneumatic waste and linen systems, that

open directly onto any corridor shall be sealed by fire-resistive construction to prevent further use or shall be providedwith a fire door assembly having a minimum 1-hour fire protection rating. All new chutes shall comply with Section 9.5.

The current wording in this section is not consistent with chapter 18 and the remainder of 101. Thesection should start out with the base requirements and the any changes or exceptions should be noted. Also correctedwording to make consisten with global change recommended in another proposal.


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Revise to read:Any rubbish waste chute shall discharge into a trash collection chute discharge room used for no other

purpose than collection of waste and shall be protected in accordance with Section 8.7 and 9.5, unless otherwiseprovided in 19.5.4.5.

This change will ensure that the chute discharge room is properly rated in accordance with NFPA 82but will allow for existing approved installations. Editorial comments are made to keep terminology consistent withNFPA 82 terminology. This proposal is tied to a change proposed for 8.7. This change is necessary for consistencybetween the NFPA documents.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #205 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:19.7.2.2 Fire Safety Plan. A written health care occupancy fire safety plan shall provide for all of the following:(1) Use of alarms(2) Transmission of alarms to fire department(3) Emergency phone call to fire department(4) Response to alarms(5) Isolation of fire(6) Evacuation of immediate area(7) Activation of evacuation notification device(8) Evacuation of smoke compartment(9) Preparation of floors and building for evacuation(10) Extinguishment of fire

The Fire Safety Plan outlines actions necessary to enable prompt and effective response of healthcare personnel. Activating the evacuation notification device to designate a room as evacuated saves time. Thisnotification provides non-verbal information to all responders regarding the evacuation status of a room. Using thisinformation, first responders can quickly assess an emergency situation and immediately determine where to focus theirefforts.


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Add new text to read:19.7.2.3.4 The corridor-side of each patient or resident room door opening shall be provided with an evacuation status

indicating device meeting all of the following:(a) The device shall require a deliberate action to expose the symbol verifying that the room occupants have been

evacuated.(b) The device shall be positioned on the door leaf, the door frame, or a wall section adjacent to the door opening and

aligned with door handle and not more than 12 in. (305 mm) horizontal distance from the door opening.(c) The device shall be positioned in the height range of 48 in. to 60 in. (1220 mm to 1525 mm) above the finished

floor surface.(d) The device shall remain visible and not be obstructed.(e) The symbol used to indicate room evacuation status shall be addressed in the fire safety plan required by

19.7.2.2.(f) Instruction relative to use of the room evacuation status devices shall be made part of the fire procedures required

by 19.7.2.Lack of a universal communication system results in a time-consuming and disorganized evacuation of

healthcare facilities in emergency situations. During a facility fire, closed doors can thwart a quick and efficientevacuation. This is because staff members often must check rooms with closed doors only to find they have alreadybeen evacuated, resulting in a critical loss of evacuation time. Proposal 19.7.2.3.4 recommends placement of a visibleevacuation notification device immediately next to the patient or resident room door opening. The use of such a devicewill save time. When evacuating a patient from their room, a staff member will simply pull the evacuation notificationdevice to designate the room as evacuated. Upon arrival, first responders will not squander time searching for a staffmember to apprise them of what areas have been evacuated. Rather, first responders can quickly assess the situationand where to focus their efforts by viewing the evacuation devices on the wall. Various healthcare facilities around thecountry use trash bags, pillow cases, pillows, chalk, orange tags, etc., to identify evacuated rooms. This emphasizes avital need for a better communication system in an evacuation emergency to identify rooms that have been evacuatedand rooms that have not.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #409 SAF-HEA



Door OpeningsIn the 2012 edition of the NFPA 101, Section 7.2.1.15, Inspection of Door Openings was revised from



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Add a new 19.7.3.3 to state as follows:For smoke compartments having spaces not separated from the corridor by partitions, a written floor plan shall be

provided to indicate the location of all required means of egress corridors in that smoke compartment.Past attempts to define means of egress corridors have not resulted in a clear definition for code users.

The purpose of this requirement would be to have available a written indication of the location for required corridors, asproposed by the building designer and/or user and approved by the AHJ. These designated corridor locations can beheld or modified as necessary for future planning and inspection use, and would serve to eliminate the confusionbetween non-corridor portions of the means of egress in rooms and the actual path of egress corridor travel affectingmany other building protection features, including width, lighting, egress marking, interior finish requirements, andfurnishing and decoration types and locations. The arrangement and protection of areas permitted to be open to thecorridor are currently addressed in other sections of this Code, and it is assumed that such levels of protection would beplanned and maintained for these open spaces. The second sentence of the proposed Annex Note is intended to permitthis information to be noted on fire safety plans which are used for other purposes, or may be drawn for more than onesmoke compartment of the building. There is no need to designate such corridors in locations where the corridors aredefined by fixed partitions.


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Revise text to read as follows:Combustible decorations shall be prohibited in any health care occupancy, unless one of the following criteria

is met:


















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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 101(10) SwagsExamples of textile items other than window treatments to which Test Method 1 applies include:(1) Table skirts(2) Table linens(3) Display booth separators(4) Textile wall hangings(5) Decorative event tent linings not used in the assembly of a tent


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_______________________________________________________________________________________________Harold J. Via, Heartland Nursing Home

My proposal is to get permission to use my EdenPURE heater purifier in my room at HeartlandNursing Home in Beckley, West Virginia or get the code and rule changed to allow a patient with sinus and respiratoryproblems to use a safe unit in their rooms.

My respiratory problems and sinus, ear and throat and equilibrium problems would be much better andmy breathing would be much easier with this heating unit, EdenPURE heater and purifier is a safe and healthier radientheat without the dangerous ultra violet rays. Cleaner air and evenly heated and purified with the EdenPURE heater.

I would like to recommend changing code NFPA 101-19.7.8 to allow use of my heater in my room at nursing home, orgive me permission to use it. This heater does not reach or pass the 212 degree F. does not exceed that.

I am writing in need of your help to get permission to use my EdenPURE heater and purifying system in my room at aNursing Home in Beckley, West Virginia.

I am a patient at Heartland Nursing Home in Beckley, West Virginia and hope you can be of help to me.After having a heart and kidney transplant 17 years ago, I am now disabled and reside in a private room at the nursing

home. I am 75 years old and would like to live the rest of my days in as much comfort as possible.Before going to the nursing home, I experienced the clean air and comfort of the EdenPURE heater and purifying

system unit called the Gen Four, and for the first time in years my sinuses and respiratory problems, nasal drip, my drymouth and throat cleared up, my equilibrium is more balanced and my breathing is much, much better.

After going to the nursing home and with their ancient dry-type heating system, my problems with my respiratorysystem and sinus, etc. all started over again. I turned their heat off in my room and had my EdenPURE heater andpurifier system placed in my room and my respiratory, etc. problems cleared up again.

The maintenance department removed my heater from my room and won't allow me to use it because of ancient codesand rules.

I do understand that there has to be rules, etc. and they cannot financially change their heating system, but I feel Ishould be allowed to use my EdenPURE heater in my room and especially since it poses no danger to anyone. It is asafe heating and purifying system.

Modern technology needs to be given a chance and modern is much healthier and better concerning heat andespecially with the EdenPURE heater radient heat. Modern technology has long surpassed the old heating systems andheaters.

It is a miracle that bio-tech research has discovered a way to duplicate the sun's natural energy without the harmfulultra violet rays.

With more research this type of energy could revolutionize the world's energy crisis.Some of the other features of this heater is that it automatically turns off if tipped or turned over. It is not hot to the

touch of the hand, evenly heats the room, is UL approved, has the humidifier, vaporizer, air filter system all in one unit. Itis also endorsed by Bob Villa.

I truly believe a health care facility cannot be a true health care facility unless it has infrared radient heat.I feel I should be allowed to use my EdenPURE heater and purifier in my room, as it is no danger to anyone.Mr. Kevin Price the fire chief for Beckley, West Virginia (Raleigh, Co.) read the brochure and doesn't think there should

be a problem using the EdenPURE heater, but it is out of his jurisdiction to make the decision. I have talked by phone toMr. Price on several occasions after he read the EdenPURE brochure.

This heater brochure from EdenPURE is 100% accurate. Is there a chance or way you could help me get my heaterback in my room before winter?

Can this code or rule be changed? Soon please.I may not live long enough to get this rule changed, but I can feel like I have helped others with these same health

problems to be more healthy and comfortable in their last days.I am anxiously awaiting your thought or answers concerning this problem.Thank you very much for your time and consideration.Note: Supporting material is available for review at NFPA Headquarters.


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Add new sections to read:

Portable space heaters complying with 19.7.8 may be located in office areas, nurses stations, and othersimilar non-patient spaces with-in the same smoke compartment as patient sleeping rooms.

Some code officials are interpreting section 19.7.8 as prohibiting any space heaters within the samesmoke compartment as patient sleeping. The code section uses the term "staff and employee areas", not smokecompartments, but this is being misunderstood. This annex note helps clarify the situation for users.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #431 SAF-HEA


Add new sections to read:

Portable space heaters complying with 19.7.8 may be located in office areas, nurses stations, and othersimilar non-patient spaces with-in the same smoke compartment as patient sleeping rooms.

Some code officials are interpreting section 18.7.8 as prohibiting any space heater within the samesmoke compartmenyt as patient sleeping. The code section uses the term "staff and employee areas", not smokecompartments, but this is being misunderstood. This Annex note helps clarify the situation for users.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #86 SAF-HEA


Revise text as follows: Portable space-heating devices shall be prohibited in all health care

occupancies, unless both of the following criteria are met:(1) Such devices are permitted to be used only in nonsleeping staff and employee areas which are located in smoke

compartments that do not contain patient sleeping or patient treatment areas. (2) The heating elements of such devicesdo not exceed 212°F (100°C).

It is not clear from the current language whether portable space-heating devices are allowed in patienttreatment areas that do not contain any patient sleeping rooms. Portable space-heating devices present a hazard topatients sleeping and those receiving treatment and who may need assistance to evacuate the area in case of a fire.


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Revise text as follows:20.1.3 Multiple Occupancies.20.1.3.1 Multiple occupancies shall be in accordance with 6.1.14, except as provided in 20.1.3.1.1 and 20.1.3.1.2.20.1.3.2* Sections20.1.3.1.1 Sections of ambulatory health care facilities shall be permitted to be classified as other occupancies,

provided that they meet both of the following conditions:(1)They are not intended to serve ambulatory health care occupants for purposes of treatment or customary access by

patients incapable of self-preservation.(2)They are separated from areas of ambulatory health care occupancies by construction having a minimum 1-hour fire

resistance rating in accordance with 6.1.1420.1.3.3.1.2 Ambulatory health care facilities shall only be permitted as part of a mixed occupancy in accordance with

6.1.14.3 when one of the following conditions exist:(1)The ambulatory care facility is a mixed occupancy within a health care occupancy.(2)The ambulatory care facility is a mixed occupancy within a business occupancy occupied by a single tenant.20.1.3.2 All means of egress from ambulatory health care occupancies that traverse nonambulatory health care

spaces shall conform to the requirements of this Code for ambulatory health care occupancies, unless otherwisepermitted by 20.1.3.4.

20.1.3.4.3 Exit through a horizontal exit into other contiguous occupancies that do not conform to ambulatory healthcare egress provisions but that do comply with requirements set forth in the appropriate occupancy chapter of this Codeshall be permitted, provided that the occupancy does not contain high hazard contents.

20.1.3.5.4 Egress provisions for areas of ambulatory health care facilities that correspond to other occupancies shallmeet the corresponding requirements of this Code for such occupancies, and, where the clinical needs of the occupantnecessitate the locking of means of egress, staff shall be present for the supervised release of occupants during alltimes of use.

20.1.3.6.5 Any area with a hazard of contents classified higher than that of the ambulatory health care occupancy andlocated in the same building shall be protected as required in 20.3.2.

20.1.3.7.6 Non-health care–related occupancies classified as containing high hazard contents shall not be permitted inbuildings housing ambulatory health care occupancies.

The multiple occupancy requirements added in the code were never coordinated well with the 1 hrseparation mandated for ambulatory care facilities and previously located in the section on subdivision of buildingspaces. This is an attempt to coordinate and clarify the requirments. It is also attempt to get the what was a quasioccupancy separation in the section it belongs. For a new building this will dictate a true 1 hr occupancy separation at aminimum. For an existing building with a new ASC, the requirements for chapter 21 would apply via chapter 43 andtherefore the less stringent requirment for the separation would apply. This change will only affect new buildings. Thiswill provide some relaxation for a mixed use occupancies that should not require the 1 hr mandatory separation.


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separation.20.1.3.23* Sections of ambulatory health care facilities shall be permitted to be classified as other occupancies,provided that they meet both of the following conditions:(1) They are not intended to serve ambulatory health care occupants for purposes of treatment or customary access bypatients incapable of self-preservation.(2) They are separated from areas of ambulatory health care occupancies by construction having a minimum 1-hour fireresistance rating.20.1.3.3 4 All means of egress from ambulatory health care occupancies that traverse nonambulatory health carespaces shall conform to the requirements of this Code for ambulatory health care occupancies, unless otherwisepermitted by 20.1.3.4.20.1.3.4 5 Exit through a horizontal exit into other contiguous occupancies that do not conform to ambulatory healthcare egress provisions but that do comply with requirements set forth in the appropriate occupancy chapter of this Codeshall be permitted, provided that the occupancy does not contain high hazard contents.20.1.3.5 6 Egress provisions for areas of ambulatory health care facilities that correspond to other occupancies shallmeet the corresponding requirements of this Code for such occupancies, and, where the clinical needs of the occupantnecessitate the locking of means of egress, staff shall be present for the supervised release of occupants during alltimes of use.20.1.3.6 7 Any area with a hazard of contents classified higher than that of the ambulatory health care occupancy andlocated in the same building shall be protected as required in 20.3.2.20.1.3.7 8 Non-health care–related occupancies classified as containing high hazard contents shall not be permitted inbuildings housing ambulatory health care occupancies.

A public input has been submitted to add a new requirement to 6.1.14.4.5 to permit atriums to be usedas an occupancy separation, should an occupancy so choose, provided the atrium is designed in accordance with 8.6.7and is physicall separated from adjacent areas. Since atriums have always permitted to serve in lieu of up to 2 hrvertical openings protection when the all the provisions of 8.6.7 are met, it seems logical that an atrium should also beused as an occupancy separation. This concept was proposed during the 2012 cycle, but was rejected by the TC FUNbecause it lacked some needed safeguards. As a result, the requirement that the atrium be physically separate fromadjacent spaces was added. Nothing precludes individual occupancies from prescribing additional safeguards, so it theTC HEA wishes to further enhance the base proposal within chapters 20 and 21, it's free to do so. Note: similarproposals have been submitted for Assembly, Day Care, Educational, Business and Health Care occupancies.


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_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Peter A. Larrimer, US Department of Veterans AffairsDelete 20.2.4.3 (2012 edition numbering).

Delete 21.2.4.3 (2012 edition numbering).There is no reason to address suites in ambulatory healthcare occupancies. There is no advantage or

disadvantage gained by establishing a suite. The means of egress rules for corridors in AHC occupancies are notsimilar to the rules in healthcare occupancies such that there is an advantage to establishing suites. Egress widths andwall construction within the suites within AHC occupancies are the same as outside the suite. This is the only paragraphin chapter 20/21 that actually mentions suites (except for the ABHR criteria). If the owner of the space calls it a suite,then this paragraph becomes a requirement. One only has to designate the space other than a suite and thisrequirement goes away and the other means of egress rules would apply. The common paths of travel rules for Chapter38/39 are sufficient.

See also the proposal to reconsider the definitions for suites.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #481 SAF-HEA






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_______________________________________________________________________________________________Thomas P. Hammerberg, Automatic Fire Alarm Association, Inc.

Add text to read as follows:. Ambulatory health care facilities shall be provided with smoke detection in accordance with

Section 9.6 within the ambulatory care facility and in public use areas outside of tenant spaces including publiccorridors and elevator lobbies

In buildings protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance with 9.7, smokedetection in accordance with Section 9.6 shall only be provided in all corridors within the ambulatory care facilities.

Renumber subsequent paragraphs.This proposal supports both the use of fire sprinklers and early warning smoke detection in Ambulatory

health care facilities Occupancies were people are provided medical procedures. The corridor is the primary means ofegress and building occupants and fire service members need knowledge of a smoke condition in the corridors

Report by Dr. Milke ofDepartment of Fire Protection Engineering University of Maryland. The report states “The review of data obtained inseveral experimental programs unanimously indicates that smoke detectors respond prior to sprinklers. In addition,tenability analyses conducted using data from several of the experimental programs concluded that sufficient egresstime is provided by smoke detectors, considering conditions existing at the time of their response”. This document canbe downloaded at http://www.afaa.org/pdf/Performance of Smoke Detectors and Sprinklers in Residential andHealthcare Facilities.pdfThis proposal will provide both fire sprinklers and smoke detection in corridors which are one of the key elements of lifesafety in our buildings of this occupancy. There are reports of loss of life when corridors are untenable due to smokeand fire in corridors, this will allow for early detection, notification and suppression to save the lives of occupants and fireservice responders.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #401 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:(2) Doors shall be constructed of not less than nonrated 1 3⁄4 in. (44 mm) thick, solid-bonded wood core or the

equivalent and shall be equipped with positive latches.The insertion of the word "nonrated" clarifies that the doors specified in 20.3.1.7(2) are not required to

be labeled fire doors.


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Revise to read:(1) This requirement shall not apply to facilities of where area of the ambulatory health care occupancy is less than

5000 ft2 (465 m2) per story and that are area is protected by an approved automatic smoke detection system.(2 )This requirement shall not apply to facilities of where area of the ambulatory health care occupancy is less than

10,000 ft2 (929 m2) that are per story and the building is protected throughout by an approved, supervised automaticsprinkler system installed in accordance with Section 9.7.

Use of facility in this case creates confusion. A two story sprinkler protected building with total buildingarea of 16,000 SF having an 8,000 SF Ambulatory Health Care occupancy on the first floor is required to subdivide thefirst floor into two smoke compartments. While the area of the story is less than 10,000 SF, area of the facility/buildingexceeds 10,000 SF. The term “facility” implies total building area and not area of the Ambulatory Health CareOccupancy. The proposed revision clarifies that small areas used as Ambulatory Health Care in a large building wouldnot have to be subdivided into smoke compartments. Please note that this revision does not modify the requiredoccupancy separations as prescribed in 20.1.3.2.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #485 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:Required smoke barriers shall be constructed in accordance with Section 8.5 and shall have a minimum

1-hour fire resistance rating, unless otherwise permitted by 20.3.7.6. Smoke barriers may terminate at the requiredoccupancy separation when the ambulatory care facility is constructed as a separated multiple occupancy inaccordance with 6.1.14.4 and the separation also meets the requirements for a smoke barrier.

Previously it appeared that there was a contradiction on the continuity of a smoke barrier. Thisclarifies the smoke barrier must go to another smoke barrier, not just a 1 hr separation.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #402 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:Doors in smoke barriers shall be not less than nonrated 1 3⁄4 in. (44 mm) thick, solid-bonded wood core or

the equivalent and shall be self-closing or automatic-closing in accordance with 20.2.2.4.The insertion of the word "nonrated" clarifies that the doors specified in 20.3.7.9 are not required to be

labeled fire doors.


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Delete text:20.3.7.11 A vision panel consisting of fire-rated glazing in approved frames shall be provided in each cross-corridor

swinging door and at each cross-corridor horizontal-sliding door in a smoke barrier.Is there a reason to specify the windows in cross corridor doors when the “cross-corridor” doors are

not required? Smoke barriers in corridors in ambulatory care facilities are permitted to have single doors and are notrequired to have pairs of opposite swinging doors. This requirements appears to be a carry-over from the healthcarechapter. My suggestion is to delete the section. If this section is not deleted, I suggest that the paragraph be started with, “Where a pair of cross-corridor doors or a horizontal sliding door is provided…”. Otherwise, this paragraph has beenmisinterpreted to require pairs of doors. If the section is deleted and these type of doors to get installed, the next section20.3.7.12 has criteria for the window if one is provided, but there will be no requirement to actually install the window.The question is, if these pairs of doors are provided, is there a need for windows?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #187 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:20.3.7.14 Center mullions shall be prohibited in smoke barrier door openings where pairs of cross-corridor doors are

provided.It may be better to delete this section depending on how my proposal on 20.3.7.11 was addressed.

Since a single door is permitted in a corridor opening of a smoke barrier in an ambulatory healthcare facility, why woulda mullion not be allowed? This requirement makes good sense in healthcare where a pair of double doors is requiredacross the corridor, but make less sense when that pair of doors is not a requirement. The same change to 21 should beaddressed.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #407 SAF-HEA


Add a new section to read:. Door openings shall be inspected in accordance with Section 7.2.1.15, Inspection of




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Revise text to read as follows:Combustible decorations shall be prohibited, unless one of the following criteria is met:

















(10) Swags


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 101Examples of textile items other than window treatments to which Test Method 1 applies include:(1) Table skirts(2) Table linens(3) Display booth separators(4) Textile wall hangings(5) Decorative event tent linings not used in the assembly of a tent

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #381 SAF-HEA


Add a new section to read:Containers used solely for recycling clean waste or for patient records awaiting destruction shall be

permitted to be excluded from the requirements of 20.7.5.7.1 where all the following conditions are met:(1) Each container shall be limited to a maximum capacity of 96 gal (363 L), except as permitted by 20.7.5.7.2(2) or (3).(2)*Containers with capacities greater than 96 gal (363 L) shall be located in a room protected as a hazardous areawhen not attended.(3) Container size shall not be limited in hazardous areas.(4) Containers for combustibles shall be labeled and listed as meeting the requirements of FMApproval Standard 6921,

; however, such testing, listing, and labeling shall not be limited to FM Approvals.This provision was added for health care occupancies but not for ambulatory health care occupancies.

It should be added to Chapter 20 and 21.


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Delete all of the following:21.1.3 Multiple Occupancies.21.1.3.1 Multiple occupancies shall be in accordance with 6.1.14.21.1.3.2* Sections of ambulatory health care facilities shall be permitted to be classified as other occupancies,

provided that they meet both of the following conditions:(1) They are not intended to serve ambulatory health care occupants for purposes of treatment or customary access by

patients incapable of self-preservation.(2) They are separated from areas of ambulatory health care occupancies by construction having a minimum 1-hour

fire resistance rating.21.1.3.3 All means of egress from ambulatory health care occupancies that traverse nonambulatory health care

spaces shall conform to the requirements of this Code for ambulatory health care occupancies, unless otherwisepermitted by 21.1.3.4.

21.1.3.4 Exit through a horizontal exit into other contiguous occupancies that do not conform with ambulatory healthcare egress provisions but that do comply with requirements set forth in the appropriate occupancy chapter of this Codeshall be permitted, provided that the occupancy does not contain high hazard contents.

21.1.3.5 Egress provisions for areas of ambulatory health care facilities that correspond to other occupancies shallmeet the corresponding requirements of this Code for such occupancies, and, where the clinical needs of the occupantnecessitate the locking of means of egress, staff shall be present for the supervised release of occupants during alltimes of use.

21.1.3.6 Any area with a hazard of contents classified higher than that of the ambulatory health care occupancy andlocated in the same building shall be protected as required in 21.3.2.

21.1.3.7 Non-health care–related occupancies classified as containing high hazard contents shall not be permitted inbuildings housing ambulatory health care occupancies.

The multiple occupancy requirements added in the code were never coordinated well with the 1 hrseparation mandated for ambulatory care facilities and previously located in the section on subdivision of buildingspaces. This is an attempt to coordinate and clarify the requirments. It is also attempt to get what was a quasioccupancy separation in the section it belongs. For a new building this will dictate a true 1 hr occupancy separation at aminimum. For an existing building with a new ASC, the requirements for chapter 21 would apply via chapter 43 andtherefore the less stringent requirment for the separation would apply. This will provide some relaxation for a mixed useoccupancies that should not require the 1 hr mandatory separation.


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separation.21.1.3.23* Sections of ambulatory health care facilities shall be permitted to be classified as other occupancies,provided that they meet both of the following conditions:(1 )They are not intended to serve ambulatory health care occupants for purposes of treatment or customary access bypatients incapable of self-preservation.(2) They are separated from areas of ambulatory health care occupancies by construction having a minimum 1-hour fireresistance rating.21.1.3.3 4 All means of egress from ambulatory health care occupancies that traverse nonambulatory health carespaces shall conform to the requirements of this Code for ambulatory health care occupancies, unless otherwisepermitted by 21.1.3.4.21.1.3.4 5 Exit through a horizontal exit into other contiguous occupancies that do not conform with ambulatory healthcare egress provisions but that do comply with requirements set forth in the appropriate occupancy chapter of this Codeshall be permitted, provided that the occupancy does not contain high hazard contents.21.1.3.5 6 Egress provisions for areas of ambulatory health care facilities that correspond to other occupancies shallmeet the corresponding requirements of this Code for such occupancies, and, where the clinical needs of the occupantnecessitate the locking of means of egress, staff shall be present for the supervised release of occupants during alltimes of use.21.1.3.6 7 Any area with a hazard of contents classified higher than that of the ambulatory health care occupancy andlocated in the same building shall be protected as required in 21.3.2.21.1.3.7 8 Non-health care–related occupancies classified as containing high hazard contents shall not be permitted inbuildings housing ambulatory health care occupancies.

A public input has been submitted to add a new requirement to 6.1.14.4.5 to permit atriums to be usedas an occupancy separation, should an occupancy so choose, provided the atrium is designed in accordance with 8.6.7and is physicall separated from adjacent areas. Since atriums have always permitted to serve in lieu of up to 2 hrvertical openings protection when the all the provisions of 8.6.7 are met, it seems logical that an atrium should also beused as an occupancy separation. This concept was proposed during the 2012 cycle, but was rejected by the TC FUNbecause it lacked some needed safeguards. As a result, the requirement that the atrium be physically separate fromadjacent spaces was added. Nothing precludes individual occupancies from prescribing additional safeguards, so it theTC HEA wishes to further enhance the base proposal within chapters 20 and 21, it's free to do so. Note: similarproposals have been submitted for Assembly, Day Care, Educational, Business and Health Care occupancies.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #335 SAF-HEA






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Revise to read:(2) Doors shall be constructed of not less than nonrated 1 3⁄4 in. (44 mm) thick, solid-bonded wood core or the

equivalent and shall be equipped with positive latches.The insertion of the word "nonrated" clarifies that the doors are not required to be fire rated.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #437 SAF-HEA


Revise to read: (1) This requirement shall not apply to facilities of where area of the ambulatory health care occupancy is less than

5000 ft2 (465 m2) per story and that are area is protected by an approved automatic smoke detection system.(2 )This requirement shall not apply to facilities of where area of the ambulatory health care occupancy is less than

10,000 ft2 (929 m2) that are per story and the building is protected throughout by an approved, supervised automaticsprinkler system installed in accordance with Section 9.7.

Use of facility in this case creates confusion. A two story sprinkler protected building with total buildingarea of 16,000 SF having an 8,000 SF Ambulatory Health Care occupancy on the first floor is required to subdivide thefirst floor into two smoke compartments. While the area of the story is less than 10,000 SF, area of the facility/buildingexceeds 10,000 SF. The term “facility” implies total building area and not area of the Ambulatory Health CareOccupancy. The proposed revision clarifies that small areas used as Ambulatory Health Care in a large building wouldnot have to be subdivided into smoke compartments. Please note that this revision does not modify the requiredoccupancy separations as prescribed in 21.1.3.2.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #484 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:Required smoke barriers shall be constructed in accordance with Section 8.5 and shall have a minimum

1⁄2-hour fire resistance rating, unless otherwise permitted by 21.3.7.6. Smoke barriers may terminate at the requiredoccupancy separation when the ambulatory care facility is constructed as a separated multiple occupancy inaccordance with 6.1.14.4.

This is an attempt to clarify that for existing, the smoke barrier is not required to extend from outsidewall to outside wall, but only to the 1 hr separation. Many barriers were constructed this way eventhough the LSC wasnot clear and the two sections relating to the smoke barrier requirement appeared to contradict themselves. Thisproposal is a less stringent requirement for existing as many of these conditions to exist.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #405 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:Doors in smoke barriers shall be not less than nonrated 1 3⁄4 in. (44 mm) thick, solid-bonded wood core or

the equivalent and shall be self-closing or automatic-closing in accordance with 21.2.2.4.The insertion of the word "nonrated" clarifies that the doors are not required to be fire rated.


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Revise text to read as follows:Combustible decorations shall be prohibited, unless one of the following criteria is met:
















(1) Window curtains(2) Stage or theater curtains(3) Vertical folding shades(4) Roll-type window shades(5) Hospital privacy curtains(6) Window draperies(7) Fabric shades or blinds(8) Polyvinyl chloride blinds(9) Horizontal folding shades(10) Swags


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 101Examples of textile items other than window treatments to which Test Method 1 applies include:(1) Table skirts(2) Table linens(3) Display booth separators(4) Textile wall hangings(5) Decorative event tent linings not used in the assembly of a tent

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #382 SAF-HEA


Add new text to read:Containers used solely for recycling clean waste or for patient records awaiting destruction shall be

permitted to be excluded from the requirements of 21.7.5.7.1 where all the following conditions are met:(1) Each container shall be limited to a maximum capacity of 96 gal (363 L), except as permitted by 21.7.5.7.2(2) or (3).(2)* Containers with capacities greater than 96 gal (363 L) shall be located in a room protected as a hazardous areawhen not attended.(3) Container size shall not be limited in hazardous areas.(4) Containers for combustibles shall be labeled and listed as meeting the requirements of FMApproval Standard 6921,

; however, such testing, listing, and labeling shall not be limited to FM Approvals.The provisions were added for health care occupancies last cycle and should be added to Chapters 20

and 21 as well.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #185a SAF-HEA


Add the annex items show belowA.18.2.2.2.7 In some Healthcare Occupancies, especially nursing homes, the use of murals to disguise doors has

been found to be beneficial for certain patient populations. This provision is intended to apply to disguising of egressdoors by painting the doors or the use of wall paper on the doors. The marking of the means of egress such as requiredexit signs should be clearly visible and not disguised by the mural. Where decorations are applied to the door, therequirements of 18.7 would still apply and painting a mural on the door would not be considered a decoration.

A.18.2.2.2.7(2) It is intended that the door releasing hardware that must be clearly visible includes levers, locks,knobs, panic bars, etc. that are directly operated or grasped by staff.

A.18.2.2.2.7(3) It is intended that the door hardware that is permitted to be covered (disguised by the mural) includesitems such as hinges, closers, magnets, etc. which would normally not be directly operated or grasped by staff.

In some Healthcare Occupancies, especially nursing homes, the use of murals to disguise doors hasbeen found to be beneficial for certain patient populations. Where exit doors or exit access doors within a Health CareOccupancy are locked, murals will not affect the ability of patients (or visitors) to egress because in a locked area thedoors must always be unlocked by staff. It does not reduce the level of safety intended by NFPA 101 when these doorsare camouflaged, because the staff members know the locations of the doors, and can readily open the doors at alltimes. Therefore, in an area within a Health Care Occupancy where (a) doors are permitted to be locked in the directionof egress travel in accordance with section 18.2.2.2.5.1 due to the clinical needs of patients, and (b) staff know thelocations of all disguised doors, and (c) staff can readily open the disguised doors at all times, then installing murals ondoors results does not reduce the level of safety below that which would be provided if the doors were not disguised. Aproposal was sent to Chapter 7 for this exception for Chapter 18 and 19.


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_______________________________________________________________________________________________John A. Rickard, Katus, LLC

Revise to read:The intent of 18.2.3.5(2) is to permit limited noncontinuous projections along the corridor wall. These

include hand-rub dispensing units complying with 18.3.2.6, nurse charting units, wall-mounted computers, telephones,artwork, bulletin boards, display case frames, cabinet frames, fire alarm boxes, and similar items. It is not the intent topermit the narrowing of the corridor by the walls themselves. The provision of 7.3.2.2 permits projections up to 4 1⁄2in.(114 mm) to be present at and below the 38 in. (965 mm) height specified in 18.2.3.5(2), and it is not the intent of18.2.3.5(2) to prohibit such projections. Permitting projections above the 38 in. (965 mm) handrail height complies withthe intent of the requirement, as such projections will not interfere with the movement of gurneys, beds, andwheelchairs. Projections below handrail height for limited items, such as fire extinguisher cabinets and recessed watercoolers, also will not interfere with equipment movement. It should be noted that other codes and standards, such asNFPA 5000, other building codes, and the Federal 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design may require caneprotection for projections greater than 4 inches. It is not the intent of this section to limit or preclude requirements foundin other applicable codes and standards.

Some users of NFPA 101 have understood this provision to allow projections in the corridor withouthaving to meet accessibility requirements in other codes and standards. The added language reinforces that the intent isnot to preclude the enforcement of other applicable codes and standards.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #223 SAF-HEA


Add text to read as follows:A.18.2.3.6 Where the facility’s emergency plan requires the movement of patients on beds or gurneys, doors in the

means of egress from sleeping and treatment rooms must be 41 ½ in clear width minimum. Any change to theEmergency plan must be approved by the AHJ.

Nursing homes, as a rule, do not transport residents while in beds for either routine or emergencypurposes. This clarification is meant to eliminate the need for (and typical mis-interpretations requiring) wider doors atrooms where beds would not be brought into, such as toilet rooms, physical therapy rooms, exam rooms, salons, officesand other such doors that residents might use.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #263 SAF-HEA


Add the following text:A.18.2.5.7.1.5 This paragraph is intended to ensure that only areas that are truly used for patient care or sleeping are

included in the area calculation of the suite. Mechanical rooms, shafts, and other normally unoccupied areas are notintended to be included in the area limitation.



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Delete the following:A.18.3.2.1 Provisions for the enclosure of rooms used for charging linen chutes and waste chutes or for rooms into

which these chutes empty are provided in Section 9.5.This is mandatory language which has been added thru another proposal to language in the code and

therefore is not needed in an annex note.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #235 SAF-HEA


Add text to read as follows:Residential and small appliances used for limited cooking, activity and therapy cooking, such as

residential cooktops, wall ovens, ranges, convection ovens, microwave ovens, electric griddles, toasters and wafflemakers, and that use limited quantities of butter, cooking spray or oil to prevent food from sticking, to be exempt fromthe requirements for commercial cooking equipment and hazardous area protection. A limited quantity is defined as twoTablespoons of butter or oil, or less. Residential cooktops and stoves may have a residential, re-circulating range hood.Deep fat fryers or other, similar equipment that fully immerses food in oil or grease are prohibited under this conditionaluse and must only be used in conjunction with a hood system in accordance with NFPA 96.

The intent of this requirement is that the fuel source for the cooktop or range is to be turned on onlywhen staff is present or aware that the kitchen is being used. The timer function is meant to provide an additionalsafeguard if the staff forgets to deactivate the cooktop or range.



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Add text to read as follows:Portable cooking equipment is defined as small appliances that sit on a counter or table and can easily

be moved and/or stored elsewhere when not in use. Limited quantities of butter, cooking spray or oil may be used toprevent food from sticking. A limited quantity is defined as two Tablespoons of butter or oil, or less.Self-contained slow cookers, such as “Crock Pots” are exempt from the maximum four hours per day cooking duration.Deep fat fryers or other, similar equipment that fully immerses food in oil or grease are prohibited under this conditionaluse and must only be used in conjunction with a hood system in accordance with NFPA 96.

The proposal for portable cooking equipment stems from the need of facilities that may be transitioningfrom a traditional service model to a Culture Change/Person-centered care model. Similar to hotels where they set uptemporary equipment to cook eggs to order in the dining room, many existing nursing homes would like to do the same;where they can cook breakfast to order for residents and not shuttle food from the main, commercial kitchen.Much of the language for this proposal has been pulled from code summaries and reports on portable cookinginterpretations from other jurisdictions. Our intent was to match what is being done in hotel dining room settings.Section 12.3.2.2/13.3.2.2 and 12.7.2.4/13.2.7.4 states that “portable equipment not flue-connected” does not need to beprotected per 9.2.3.The restriction to electrical appliances and appliances that can be easily moved and stored is to limit the type and size ofthe equipment to smaller, residential-style appliances, and limit the amount of food that can be realistically prepared atone time (like for breakfast). The intent of limiting the duration of cooking is so that this style of food preparation islimited to one mealtime per day. However, since slow-cookers often must run for 6 to 8 hours, we felt the need toexempt them from the duration.Note: Supporting material is available for review at NFPA Headquarters.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #228 SAF-HEA


Add text to read as follows:Adequate ventilation is defined as not needing any supplemental ventilation or cooling in order to

maintain comfort levels within the space.The proposal for portable cooking equipment stems from the need of facilities that may be transitioning



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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 101_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #163a SAF-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________Vince Baclawski, National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)

Delete text:A.18.3.2.5.3(11) The intent of requiring smoke alarms instead of smoke detectors is to prevent false alarms from

initiating the building fire alarm system and notifying the fire department. Smoke alarms should be maintained aminimum of 20 ft (6.1 m) away from the cooktop or range as studies have shown this distance to be the threshold forsignificantly reducing false alarms caused by cooking. The intent of the interconnected smoke alarms, with silencefeature, is that while the devices would alert staff members to a potential problem, if it is a false alarm, the staffmembers can use the silence feature instead of disabling the alarm. The referenced study indicates that nuisancealarms are reduced with photoelectric smoke alarms. Providing two, interconnected alarms provides a safety factorsince they are not electrically supervised by the the fire alarm system. (Smoke Alarms – Pilot Study of Nuisance AlarmsAssociated with Cooking)

This proposal is intended to:1. Correct a technical flaw in the 2012 requirements2. Reduce nuisance alarms attributed to locating smoke alarms or smoke detectors in close proximity to cookingappliances and bathrooms in which steam is produced.

The 2012 requirements are in technical conflict with the smoke detection location requirements near cookingappliances which are based on numerous reports including the Task Group Report - Minimum PerformanceRequirements for Smoke Alarm Detection Technology - February 22, 2008 and are consistent with similar requirementsincluded in the 2010 edition of NFPA 72. The 2012 requirements prohibit UL 268 system-connected smoke detectorsfrom being installed even though they are permitted by NFPA 72. Furthermore all UL 268 smoke detectors utilizemicroprocessor based technology that enable the use of algorithms (mathematical calculations) to reduce nuisancealarms whereas the majority of smoke alarms don’t have this capability.

Section 9.6.2.10.1.1 already requires smoke alarms to be installed in accordance with NFPA 72, which theoreticallydescribes where alarms should and should not be installed. As a convenience to the code user, requirements on wheresmoke alarms should not be installed in proximity to permanently installed cooking appliances and steam producingbathrooms will be included in this section.


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Add a new Annex note for minimum smoke compartment size top read as follows:The method of meeting the tenability performance criteria required of a smoke compartment of less than 1000 ft2 (93

m2) can involve controlling the exposing fire (e.g., via automatic sprinkler protection), installing smokeresisting doors inthe smoke barriers ( NFPA 105, ), providingsmoke control to prevent or limit smoke migration through cracks or other leakage paths ( NFPA 92,

), or providing other means or a combination of these means.Calculations, if used, need to be based on established engineering relationships and equations. Such calculational

procedures are described in NFPA 92 and the . Tenable conditions arethose that maintain the temperature of any smoke in the smoke compartment at less than 200°F (93°C) if the smoke ismore than 60 in. (1525 mm) above the floor, and at less than 120°F (49°C) if the smoke descends below the 60 in.(1525 mm) level in the smoke compartment. Also, if the smoke descends below the 60 in. (1525 mm) level, tenableconditions require not less than 16 percent oxygen and not more than 30,000 ppm/min exposure to carbon monoxide.The exposing conditions used in the calculations should be in accordance with the following:

The exposing space is sprinkler protected, and the following conditions also exist:(a) The temperature of the exposing smoke is 200°F (93°C).(b) The smoke layer extends to the floor.(c) The oxygen content is 16 percent.(d) The carbon monoxide concentration is 2000 ppm (0.2 percent).

The proposed Annex note is an editted version of the existing Annex note to the similar paragraph inChapter 7. The text has been revised to refer to smoke compartments instead of area of refuge. Also, the fire scenarioshave been reduced to only the sprinkler fire scenario since new health care occupancies are required to be protectedthroughout with an automatic sprinkler system.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #423 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:Smoke barrier doors are intended to provide access to adjacent zones. The pair of cross-corridor doors are

required to be opposite swinging. Access to both zones is required.It is not the intent of 18.3.7.6 to prohibit the application of push plates, hardware, or other attachments on some barrier

doors in health care occupancies. 18.3.7.6 requires the door leaves to be of substantial construction that is sufficient toresist fire for 20 minutes. Non-labeled 1-3/4-in. (44 mm) solid, bonded wood core doors that are used in place of labeled20-minute fire doors are not subject to the requirements of NFPA 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Other OpeningProtectives, therefore nonrated factory or field applied protective plates unlimited in height are permitted.

The use of nonrated 1-3/4 in. (44 mm) solid, bonded core wood doors in place of 20-minute fire doorsrequires additional explanation to avoid confusion in facilities that are using NFPA 80's and NFPA 101's door assemblysafety inspections. The use of nonrated factory- or field-installed protection plates of unlimited size (see 18.3.7.6(1)) arenot permitted to be installed on fire rated doors (per NFPA 80). If a facility uses 20-minute fire-rated door assemblies,rather than the nonrated 1-3/4 in. (44 mm) solid, bonded wood core doors, protection plates installed on the 20-minutedoors are governed by NFPA 80.


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Revise to read:It is not the intent to require the frame to be a listed assembly. The use of fire-rated glazing installed in

approved glass light kits (frames) is required to ensure the vision panels are designed to resist fire for a period of 20minutes -- these requirements apply to both fire-rated and nonrated door assemblies.

18.3.7.9 requires the vision panels installed in cross-corridor doors in smoke barriers to consist of firerated components, even if the door leaves they are installed in are nonrated. Modifying the annex comment assuggested clarifies the intent of 18.3.7.9.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #108 SAF-HEA


Add a new A.18.7.3.3 to state as follows:The purpose of this requirement is to provide a means for building designers, occupants, and operators to clearly

designate approved egress corridors that can be identified even though physical or other obvious barriers may not bepresent to indicate their location. Floor plans used to satisfy this requirement may incorporate more than one functionand more than one smoke compartment of the building, provided egress corridors are clearly identified where no fixedbarriers are present.

Past attempts to define means of egress corridors have not resulted in a clear definition for code users.The purpose of this requirement would be to have available a written indication of the location for required corridors, asproposed by the building designer and/or user and approved by the AHJ. These designated corridor locations can beheld or modified as necessary for future planning and inspection use, and would serve to eliminate the confusionbetween non-corridor portions of the means of egress in rooms and the actual path of egress corridor travel affectingmany other building protection features, including width, lighting, egress marking, interior finish requirements, andfurnishing and decoration types and locations. The arrangement and protection of areas permitted to be open to thecorridor are currently addressed in other sections of this Code, and it is assumed that such levels of protection would beplanned and maintained for these open spaces. The second sentence of the proposed Annex Note is intended to permitthis information to be noted on fire safety plans which are used for other purposes, or may be drawn for more than onesmoke compartment of the building. There is no need to designate such corridors in locations where the corridors aredefined by fixed partitions.


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 101_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #184a SAF-HEA


Add the annex items shown below.A.19.2.2.2.7 In some Healthcare Occupancies, especially nursing homes, the use of murals to disguise doors has

been found to be beneficial for certain patient populations. This provision is intended to apply to disguising of egressdoors by painting the doors or the use of wall paper on the doors. The marking of the means of egress such as requiredexit signs should be clearly visible and not disguised by the mural. Where decorations are applied to the door, therequirements of 19.7 would still apply and painting a mural on the door would not be considered a decoration.

A.19.2.2.2.7 (2) It is intended that the door releasing hardware that must be clearly visible includes levers, locks,knobs, panic bars, etc. that are directly operated or grasped by staff.

A.19.2.2.2.7 (3) It is intended that the door hardware that is permitted to be covered (disguised by the mural) includesitems such as hinges, closers, magnets, etc. which would normally not be directly operated or grasped by staff.

In some Healthcare Occupancies, especially nursing homes, the use of murals to disguise doors hasbeen found to be beneficial for certain patient populations. Where exit doors or exit access doors within a Health CareOccupancy are locked, murals will not affect the ability of patients (or visitors) to egress because in a locked area thedoors must always be unlocked by staff. It does not reduce the level of safety intended by NFPA 101 when these doorsare camouflaged, because the staff members know the locations of the doors, and can readily open the doors at alltimes. Therefore, in an area within a Health Care Occupancy where (a) doors are permitted to be locked in the directionof egress travel in accordance with section 19.2.2.2.5.1 due to the clinical needs of patients, and (b) staff know thelocations of all disguised doors, and (c) staff can readily open the disguised doors at all times, then installing murals ondoors results does not reduce the level of safety below that which would be provided if the doors were not disguised.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #267 SAF-HEA


Add text to read as follows:A.19.2.5.7.1.5 This paragraph is intended to ensure that only areas that are truly used for patient care or sleeping are



_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #179 SAF-HEA


Delete text:(A) For the purposes of this paragraph, it is the intent that the term habitable rooms not include individual bathrooms,

closets, and similar spaces, as well as briefly occupied work spaces, such as control rooms in radiology and smallstorage rooms in a pharmacy.

Coordination with other proposals. The base paragraph was deleted.


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Revise to read:(1) The interior partitions or walls might extend full height to the ceiling, provided that they do not obscure visual

supervision of the suite. Where they do obscure visual supervision, see 19.2.5.7.2.1(D B)(2).Coordinate with other proposal to modify numbering. Couldn't change the actual paragragh number

from A19.2.5.7.2.1(D)(1) to ........(B)(1) on the new and improved system.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #181 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:(B) Where only one means of egress is required from the suite, it needs to be provided by a door opening directly to a

corridor complying with 19.3.6 or to a horizontal exit.Coordination. Couldn't change annex number.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #175 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:(1) The alternative of 19.2.5.7.2.1(D B)(1)(b) is not to be applied, since 19.2.5.7.2.3(C)(2) requires total coverage

automatic smoke detection for the suite that exceeds 5000 ft2 (460 m2) but does not exceed 7500 ft2 (700 m2).Coordination with numbering. Couldn't change the annex paragraph number.


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Add text to read as follows:Residential and small appliances used for limited cooking, activity and therapy cooking, such as

residential cooktops, wall ovens, ranges, convection ovens, microwave ovens, electric griddles, toasters and wafflemakers, and that use limited quantities of butter, cooking spray or oil to prevent food from sticking, to be exempt fromthe requirements for commercial cooking equipment and hazardous area protection. A limited quantity is defined as twoTablespoons of butter or oil, or less. Residential cooktops and stoves may have a residential, re-circulating range hood.Deep fat fryers or other, similar equipment that fully immerses food in oil or grease are prohibited under this conditionaluse and must only be used in conjunction with a hood system in accordance with NFPA 96.

) The intent of this requirement is that the fuel source for the cooktop or range is to be turned on onlywhen staff is present or aware that the kitchen is being used. The timer function is meant to provide an additionalsafeguard if the staff forgets to deactivate the cooktop or range.



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Add text to read as follows:Portable cooking equipment is defined as small appliances that sit on a counter or table and can easily

be moved and/or stored elsewhere when not in use. Limited quantities of butter, cooking spray or oil may be used toprevent food from sticking. A limited quantity is defined as two Tablespoons of butter or oil, or less.Self-contained slow cookers, such as “Crock Pots” are exempt from the maximum four hours per day cooking duration.Deep fat fryers or other, similar equipment that fully immerses food in oil or grease are prohibited under this conditionaluse and must only be used in conjunction with a hood system in accordance with NFPA 96.

The proposal for portable cooking equipment stems from the need of facilities that may be transitioningfrom a traditional service model to a Culture Change/Person-centered care model. Similar to hotels where they set uptemporary equipment to cook eggs to order in the dining room, many existing nursing homes would like to do the same;where they can cook breakfast to order for residents and not shuttle food from the main, commercial kitchen.Much of the language for this proposal has been pulled from code summaries and reports on portable cookinginterpretations from other jurisdictions. Our intent was to match what is being done in hotel dining room settings.Section 12.3.2.2/13.3.2.2 and 12.7.2.4/13.2.7.4 states that “portable equipment not flue-connected” does not need to beprotected per 9.2.3.The restriction to electrical appliances and appliances that can be easily moved and stored is to limit the type and size ofthe equipment to smaller, residential-style appliances, and limit the amount of food that can be realistically prepared atone time (like for breakfast). The intent of limiting the duration of cooking is so that this style of food preparation islimited to one mealtime per day. However, since slow-cookers often must run for 6 to 8 hours, we felt the need toexempt them from the duration.Note: Supporting material is available for review at NFPA Headquarters.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #231 SAF-HEA


Add text to read as follows:Adequate ventilation is defined as not needing any supplemental ventilation or cooling in order to

maintain comfort levels within the space.The proposal for portable cooking equipment stems from the need of facilities that may be transitioning



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Revise to read:Where a nurse server penetrates a corridor wall, the access opening on the corridor side of the nurse

server must be protected as is done for a corridor door.19.3.6.3 requires the door leaves to be of substantial construction that is sufficient to resist fire for 20 minutes. Thesedoors, described as 1-3/4 in. (44 mm) thick, solid-bonded core wood doors, are nonrated doors and are not subject tothe requirements of NFPA 80.

The use of nonrated 1-3/4 in. (44 mm) thick, solid-bonded core wood doors in place of 20-minute firedoors requires additional explanation to avoid confusion in facilities that are using NFPA 80's and NFPA 101's doorassembly safety inspections. The use of nonrated factory- or field-installed protection plates of unlimited size (see19.3.6.3.12) are not permitted to be installed on fire rated doors (per NFPA 80). If a facility uses 20-minute fire-rateddoor assemblies, rather than the nonrated 1-3/4 in. (44 mm) thick solid-bonded wood core doors, the attached hardwareitems are governed by NFPA 80.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #398 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:Door assemblies installed in enclosures of vertical openings, exits, and hazardous areas are required to

be labeled fire door assemblies that comply with NFPA 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives.Gasketing of doors should not be necessary to achieve resistance to the passage of smoke if the door is relativelytight-fitting.

19.3.6.3.1 creates confusion regarding the requirement of fire-rated and non-fire rated doorassemblies. While the statement of 19.3.6.3.1 clearly allows "doors protecting corridor openings in other than requiredenclosures of vertical openings, exits, or hazardous areas..." to be of nonrated construction, it is sometimes misappliedand results in labeled door assemblies being outfitted with door hardware that does not comply with NFPA 80 ornonrated doors being installed in locations where labeled fire doors are required.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #397 SAF-HEA


Add a new section to read:Many steel door frames are embossed with labels, or carry attached labels, that indicate they are

labeled fire door frames. The Code specifies the use of labeled steel frames as an acceptable component of thenonrated door assemblies that are required by 19.3.6.3.1 and are not intended to imply that the door assemblies are firerated. If the door leaves installed in these frames are labeled 20-minute fire rated doors, the hardware attached to thedoors and the entire assemblies are required to comply with NFPA 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Other OpeningProtectives regardless of the requirement of 19.3.6.3.1.

In some facilities labeled 20-minute fire doors are installed that do not meet the requirements of NFPA80, Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives due to the hardware that is attached to them in accordancethat are specified in the latter paragraphs of section 19.3.6.3. The doors specified in 19.3.6.3.1 are required to be ofsubstantial construction that will resist fire for 20 minutes, but those doors are technically nonrated and are therefore notsubject to the requirements of NFPA 80 as addressed in 19.3.6.3.3. When labeled 20-minute fire doors are used, theentire door assembly is required to comply with NFPA 80. Alternatively, the fire label on the door leaves must beremoved to indicate that the door assembly is not considered a labeled fire door assembly.


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Add a new A.19.7.3.3 to state as follows:The purpose of this requirement is to provide a means for building designers, occupants, and operators to clearly

designate approved egress corridors that can be identified even though physical or other obvious barriers may not bepresent to indicate their location. Floor plans used to satisfy this requirement may incorporate more than one functionand more than one smoke compartment of the building, provided egress corridors are clearly identified where no fixedbarriers are present.

Past attempts to define means of egress corridors have not resulted in a clear definition for code users.The purpose of this requirement would be to have available a written indication of the location for required corridors, asproposed by the building designer and/or user and approved by the AHJ. These designated corridor locations can beheld or modified as necessary for future planning and inspection use, and would serve to eliminate the confusionbetween non-corridor portions of the means of egress in rooms and the actual path of egress corridor travel affectingmany other building protection features, including width, lighting, egress marking, interior finish requirements, andfurnishing and decoration types and locations. The arrangement and protection of areas permitted to be open to thecorridor are currently addressed in other sections of this Code, and it is assumed that such levels of protection would beplanned and maintained for these open spaces. The second sentence of the proposed Annex Note is intended to permitthis information to be noted on fire safety plans which are used for other purposes, or may be drawn for more than onesmoke compartment of the building. There is no need to designate such corridors in locations where the corridors aredefined by fixed partitions.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #403 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:Smoke barriers might include walls having door openings other than cross-corridor doors. There is no

restriction in the Code regarding which doors or how many doors form part of a smoke barrier. For example, doors fromthe corridor to individual rooms are permitted to form part of a smoke barrier. Where labeled 20-minute fire doors areinstalled that exceed the requirements of 20.3.7.9, the labeled door assemblies are required to comply with NFPA 80,Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives or the fire door label needs to be removed from the door leaf toindicate that the door assembly is not fire rated.

The practice of installing labeled 20-minute fire door leaves in door openings that do not have therequired labeled hardware in accordance with NFPA 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives,creates confusion and technically voids the fire rating of the door leaf.


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Add a new section to read:It is the intent that this provision permits recycling of bottles, cans, paper and similar clean items that do

not contain grease, oil, flammable liquids, or significant plastic materials using larger containers or several adjacentcontainers and not require locating such containers in a room protected as a hazardous area. Containers for medicalrecords awaiting shredding are often larger than 32 gal (121 L). These containers are not to be included in thecalculations and limitations of 20.7.5.7.1. There is no limit on the number of these containers, as FM Approval Standard6921, , ensures that the fire will not spread outside of the container. FM approvalstandards are written for use with FM Approvals. The tests can be conducted by any approved laboratory. The portionsof the standard referring to FM Approvals are not included in this reference.

Companion change to the proposed new paragarph to address such containers.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #406 SAF-HEA


Revise to read:Smoke barriers might include walls having door openings other than cross-corridor doors. There is no

restriction in the Code regarding which doors or how many doors form part of a smoke barrier. For example, doors fromthe corridor to individual rooms are permitted to form part of a smoke barrier. Where labeled 20-minute fire doors areinstalled to comply with 21.3.7.9, the door frame and attached hardware is required to comply with NFPA 80, Standardfor Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives or the fire door label on the door leaf is required to be removed toindicate the door assembly is not fire rated.

The practice of installing labeled 20-minute fire doors in door openings that are not required to be firerated results in confusion. The entire door assembly needs to comply with NFPA 80, Standard for Fire Doors and OtherOpening Protectives, or the label on the door leaf needs to be removed in order to remove the confusion.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________101- Log #384 SAF-HEA


Add a new section to read:It is the intent that this provision permits recycling of bottles, cans, paper and similar clean items that do

not contain grease, oil, flammable liquids, or significant plastic materials using larger containers or several adjacentcontainers and not require locating such containers in a room protected as a hazardous area. Containers for medicalrecords awaiting shredding are often larger than 32 gal (121 L). These containers are not to be included in thecalculations and limitations of 21.7.5.7.1. There is no limit on the number of these containers, as FM Approval Standard6921, , ensures that the fire will not spread outside of the container. FM approvalstandards are written for use with FM Approvals. The tests can be conducted by any approved laboratory. The portionsof the standard referring to FM Approvals are not included in this reference.

Companion change to the proposed new paragraph to address such containers.


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 5000_______________________________________________________________________________________________5000- Log #27 BLD-HEA

_______________________________________________________________________________________________Michael A. Crowley, The RJA Group, Inc. / Rep. TC Healthcare Coordination NFPA 101-5000 Task Group

Revise text to read as follows:The provisions of Chapter 1, Administration, shall apply.

The provisions of Chapter 4, General, shall apply.The requirements of this chapter shall not apply to facilities where the authority having jurisdiction has

determined equivalent safety has been provided in accordance with Section 1.5.Repairs, renovations, modifications, additions, and reconstruction of a health care occupancy, and

changes of use, including change of occupancy classification to a health care occupancy, or correction of a damaged orunsafe portion of the building containing the health care occupancy, shall comply with one of the following:

(1) Provisions of this chapter(2) Provisions of Chapter 15

The requirements of this chapter, where referenced by Chapter 15, shall not apply to additionsclassified as occupancies other than health care that are separated from the health care occupancy in accordance with19.1.1.4.1 and conform to the requirements for the specific occupancy in accordance with Chapters 16 through 18 andChapters 20 through 30, as appropriate.

The requirements of 19.1.1.1.3 19.1.1.1.5 shall not apply to facilities where the authority havingjurisdiction has determined that equivalent safety has been provided in accordance with Section 1.5.

Health care facilities regulated by this chapter shall be understood to be those facilities that providesleeping accommodations for their occupants and are occupied by persons who are mostly incapable ofself-preservation because of age, because of physical or mental disability, or because of security measures not underthe occupants' control.

Buildings, or sections of buildings, that primarily house patients who, in the opinion of the governing bodyof the facility and the governmental agency having jurisdiction, are capable of judgment and appropriate physical actionfor self-preservation under emergency conditions shall be permitted to comply with chapters of this other than thischapter.

It shall be recognized that, in buildings housing certain patients it might be necessary to lock doors andbar windows to confine and protect building inhabitants.

Buildings, or sections of buildings, that house older persons and that provide activities that fostercontinued independence, but that do not include services distinctive to health care occupancies, shall be permitted tocomply with the requirements of other chapters of this .

Facilities that do not provide housing on a 24-hour basis for their occupants shall be classified as otheroccupancies and shall be covered by other chapters of this .

It shall be recognized that the requirements of this chapter are based on the assumption that staff isavailable in all patient-occupied areas to perform certain fire safety functions.

The goals and objectives of Section 4.1 shall be met with due consideration forfunctional requirements.

All health care facilities shall be designed and constructed to minimize the possibility of a fire emergencyrequiring the evacuation of occupants.

Because the safety of health care occupants cannot be ensured adequately by dependence on evacuationof the building, their protection from fire shall be provided by appropriate arrangement of facilities; adequate, trainedstaff; and development of operating and maintenance procedures composed of the following:

(1) Design, construction, and compartmentation(2) Provision for detection, alarm, and extinguishment(3) Fire prevention; and planning, training, and drilling in programs for the isolation of fire, transfer of occupants to

areas of refuge, or evacuation of the building

Additions shall be separated from any existing structure not conforming to the requirements forhealth care occupancies by a fire barrier having not less than a 2-hour fire resistance rating and constructed of materialsas required for the addition.

Communicating openings in dividing fire barriers required by 19.1.1.4.1 shall be permitted only incorridors and shall be protected by approved, self-closing fire door assemblies.


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 5000Doors in barriers required by 19.1.1.4.1 shall normally be kept closed, unless otherwise permitted by

19.1.1.4.1.3.Doors in barriers required by 19.1.1.4.1 shall be permitted to be held open if they meet the requirements

of 19.2.2.2.7.Changes of use or occupancy classification shall comply

with 4.5.6, unless otherwise permitted by one of the following:(1) A change from a hospital to a nursing home or from a nursing home to a hospital shall not be considered a

change in occupancy classification or a change in use.(2) A change from a hospital or nursing home to a limited care facility shall not be considered a change in

occupancy classification or a change in use.(3) A change from a hospital or nursing home to an ambulatory health care facility shall not be considered a

change in occupancy classification or a change in use.Where Chapter 15 requires compliance with this paragraph, the automatic

sprinkler requirements of 19.3.5 shall apply to a smoke compartment undergoing the rehabilitation. However, in caseswhere the building is not protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system, the requirements fornonsprinklered buildings contained in 19.4.3 shall also apply.

Classification of occupancy shall be in accordance with 6.1.5.

Multiple occupancies shall be in accordance with Section 6.2.

Sections of health care facilities shall be permitted to be classified as other occupancies in accordance withthe separated occupancies provisions of 6.2.4 and either 19.1.23.3 or 19.1.23.4.

Sections of health care facilities shall be permitted to be classified as other occupancies, provided thatthey meet both of the following conditions:

(1) They are not intended to serve health care occupantsprovide services simultaneously for four or moreinpatients for purposes of housing, treatment, or customary access by inpatients incapable of self-preservation.

(2) They are separated from areas of health care occupancies by construction having a fire resistance rating of notless than 2 hours.

Ambulatory care facilities, medical clinics, and similar facilities that are contiguous to health careoccupancies, but that are primarily intended to provide outpatient services, shall be permitted to be classified asbusiness occupancies or ambulatory health care facilities, provided that the facilities are separated from the health careoccupancy by not less than 2-hour fire resistance–rated construction and the facility is not intended to provide servicessimultaneously for four or more inpatients who are litterborneincapable of self-preservation.

Ambulatory care facilities, medical clinics, and similar facilities that are contiguous to health careoccupancies shall be permitted to be used for diagnostic and treatment services of inpatients who are capable ofself-preservation.

Where separated occupancies provisions are used in accordance with either 19.1.23.2 or 19.1.23.3, themost stringent construction type shall be provided throughout the building, unless the 2-hour separation is a verticallyaligned fire barrier wall, in which case the construction type shall be determined as follows:

(1) The construction type and supporting construction of the health care occupancy shall be based on the story onwhich it is located in the building in accordance with the provisions of 19.1.6.

(2) The construction type of the areas of the building enclosing the other occupancies shall be based on theapplicable occupancy chapters of this .

Health care occupancies in buildings housing other occupancies shall be completely separated from suchbuildings by construction in accordance with 6.2.4, with communicating openings permitted only in corridors, and only byapproved, self-closing fire door assemblies.

All means of egress from health care occupancies that traverse non-health-care spaces shall conform tothe requirements of this for health care occupancies, unless otherwise permitted by 19.1.3.6.1.

Egress through a horizontal exit into other contiguous occupancies that do not conform with health careegress provisions, but that do comply with requirements set forth in the appropriate occupancy chapter of this ,shall be permitted, provided that the occupancy does not contain high hazard contents exceeding the maximumallowable quantities (MAQ) per control area as set forth in 34.1.3, other than Level 4 hazardous areas.

The horizontal exit specified in 19.1.2.73.6.1 shall comply with the requirements of 19.2.2.5.


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 5000Egress provisions for areas of health care facilities that correspond to other occupancies shall meet the

corresponding requirements of this for such occupancies. Where the clinical needs of the occupant necessitatethe locking of means of egress, staff shall be present for the supervised release of occupants during all times of use.

Auditoriums, chapels, staff residential areas, or other occupancies provided in connection with healthcare facilities shall have means of egress provided in accordance with other applicable sections of this .

Any area with a hazard of contents classified higher than that of the health care occupancy and locatedin the same building shall be protected as required in 19.3.2.

Non-health care–related occupancies classified as containing high hazard contents exceeding theMAQ per control area as set forth in 34.1.3 shall not be permitted in buildings housing health care occupancies.

For definitions, see Chapter 3, Definitions.A list of special terms used in this chapter follows:

(1) See 3.3.444.1.(2) See 3.3.337.(3) See 3.3.214.7.(4) See 3.3.334.3.


Hazard of contents shall be classified in accordance with 6.3.2.Buildings or areas in which high hazard contents are stored, used, or handled shall comply with Chapter

34.

This public input was prepared by a task group of the NFPA Technical Committee on Health CareOccupancies, consisting of Michael Crowley – Chair, Chad Beebe, Thomas Jaeger, Henry Kowalenko, James Lathrop,and Daniel O’Connor. In previous revision cycles, changes were made to the health care occupancies chapters of NFPA101, , but similar changes were not made to the health care occupancies chapter of NFPA 5000,

. Some of the missed changes were an oversight by the committee. Others couldnot be made to NFPA 5000 at, what was then, the ROC stage of the revision process because the subject had not beenraised by a proposal in the ROP stage.

The many changes proposed by this public input are strictly for correlation with text that appears in the 2012 edition ofNFPA 101. No technical substantiation for these changes is provided as each issue was fully vetted, technically, whenthe provision was added to NFPA 101 or revised in NFPA 101. It is the intent of the Technical Committee on HealthCare Occupancies, as directed by the NFPA 101 and NFPA 5000 Correlating Committees, that the health care chapterof NFPA 101 for new construction and that of NFPA 5000 read as nearly as identical as possible given the slightlydifferent scopes of the two documents.


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Revise text to read as follows:* Door locking arrangements shall be permitted in accordance with either 19.2.2.2.5.1 or 19.2.2.2.5.2.

Door-locking arrangements shall be permitted where the clinical needs of the patients requirespecialized security measures or where patients pose a security threat, provided that one of the following is met:

(1) Staff staff can readily unlock doors at all times in accordance with 19.2.2.2.6.(2) The provisions of 19.2.2.2.5.2 are met.




_______________________________________________________________________________________________5000- Log #29 BLD-HEA


Revise text to read as follows:(a) Remote control of locks from within the locked compartment





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Revise text to read as follows:

Not less than 30 net ft2 (2.8 net m2) per patient in a hospital or nursing home, or not less than 15 net ft2

(1.4 net m2) per resident in a limited care facility, shall be provided within the aggregated area of corridors, patientrooms, treatment rooms, lounge or dining areas, and other similar areas on each side of the horizontal exit.

On stories not housing patients confined to beds or litterborne patients, not less than 6 net ft2 (0.56 net m2)per occupant shall be provided on each side of the horizontal exit for the total number of occupants in adjoiningcompartments.

Center mullions shall be prohibited.

Ramps complying with 11.2.5 shall be permitted.Ramps enclosed as exits shall be of sufficient width to provide egress capacity in accordance with 19.2.3.





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The capacity of any required means of egress shall be in accordance with 11.3.3, as modified by 19.2.3.2through 19.2.3.6.

The capacity of means of egress shall be in accordance with Section 11.3.Aisles, corridors, and ramps required for exit access in a hospital or nursing home shall be not less than 8 ft

(2440 mm) in clear and unobstructed width, unless otherwise permitted by one of the following:Aisles, corridors, and ramps in adjunct areas not intended for the housing, treatment, or use of inpatients shall

be not less than 44 in. (1120 mm) in clear and unobstructed width.Noncontinuous projections not more than 6 in. (150 mm) from the corridor wall, positioned not less than 38 in.

(965 mm) above the floor, shall be permitted.Exit access within a room or suite of rooms complying with the requirements of 19.2.5 shall be permitted.

(4) Projections into the required width shall be permitted for wheeled equipment, provided that all of the followingconditions are met:(a) The wheeled equipment does not reduce the clear unobstructed corridor width to less than 60 in. (1525 mm).(b) The health care occupancy fire safety plan and training program address the relocation of the wheeled equipmentduring a fire or similar emergency.

The wheeled equipment is limited to the following:i. Equipment in use and carts in useii. Medical emergency equipment not in useiii. Patient lift and transport equipment

Where the corridor width is at least 8 ft (2440 mm), projections into the required width shall be permitted forfixed furniture, provided that all of the following conditions are met:(a) The fixed furniture is securely attached to the floor or to the wall.(b) The fixed furniture does not reduce the clear unobstructed corridor width to less than 6 ft (1830 mm), except aspermitted by 19.2.3.2(2).(c) The fixed furniture is located only on one side of the corridor.(d) The fixed furniture is grouped such that each grouping does not exceed an area of 50 ft2 (4.6 m2).(e) The fixed furniture groupings addressed in 19.2.3.2(5)(d) are separated from each other by a distance of at least 10ft (3050 mm).

The fixed furniture is located so as to not obstruct access to building service and fire protection equipment.(g) Corridors throughout the smoke compartment are protected by an electrically supervised automatic smoke detectionsystem in accordance with 18.3.4, or the fixed furniture spaces are arranged and located to allow direct supervision bythe facility staff from a nurses’ station or similar space.

Cross-corridor door openings in corridors with a required minimum width of 8 ft (2440 mm) shall have a clearwidth of not less than 6 ft 11 in. (2110 mm) for pairs of doors or a clear width of not less than 41 ½ in. (1055 mm) for asingle door.(1) Where ramps are used as exits, the requirement of 19.2.2.6 shall apply.

Aisles, corridors, and ramps in adjunct areas not intended for the housing, treatment, or use of inpatients shallbe not less than 44 in. (1120 mm) in clear and unobstructed width.(3) Where the corridor width is at least 6 ft (1830 mm), projections not more than 6 in. (150 mm) from the corridorwall, above the handrail height, shall be permitted for the installation of hand-rub dispensing units in accordance with19.2.3.6.(4) Where the corridor width is at least 6 ft (1830 mm), projections shall be permitted in corridors, at both sides ofthe corridor, as follows:(a) Each projection shall not exceed a depth of 6 in. (150 mm).(b) Each projection shall not exceed a length of 36 in. (915 mm).(c) Each projection shall be positioned not less than 40 in. (1015 mm) above the floor.(d) Each projection shall have a minimum 48 in. (1220 mm) horizontal separation from adjacent projections.

The requirement of 19.2.3.3 shall not apply to exit access within a room or suite of rooms complying with therequirements of 19.2.5.


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 5000Aisles, corridors, and ramps required for exit access in a limited care facility or hospital for psychiatric care

shall be not less than 6 ft (1830 mm) in clear and unobstructed width, unless otherwise permitted by one of thefollowing:

Aisles, corridors, and ramps in adjunct areas not intended for the housing, treatment, or use of inpatients shallbe not less than 44 in. (1120 mm) in clear and unobstructed width.(2)* Noncontinuous projections not more than 6 in. (150 mm) from the corridor wall, positioned not less than 38 in. (965mm) above the floor, shall be permittedWhere the corridor width is at least 6 ft (1830 mm), projections not exceeding 6in. (150 mm) from the corridor wall, above the handrail height, shall be permitted for the installation of hand-rubdispensing units in accordance with 19.3.2.6.

Exit access within a room or suite of rooms complying with the requirements of 18.2.5 shall be permitted.(4) Projections into the required width shall be permitted for wheeled equipment, provided that all of the followingconditions are met:(a) The wheeled equipment does not reduce the clear unobstructed corridor width to less than 60 in.(1525 mm).(b) The health care occupancy fire safety plan and training program address the relocation of the wheeled equipmentduring a fire or similar emergency.

The wheeled equipment is limited to the following:i. Equipment in use and carts in useii. Medical emergency equipment not in useiii. Patient lift and transport equipment

Cross-corridor door openings in corridors with a required minimum width of 6 ft (1830 mm) shall have a clearwidth of not less than 64 in. (1625 mm) for pairs of doors or a clear width of not less than 32 in. (810 mm) for a singledoor.(3) Where the corridor width is at least 6 ft (1830 mm), projections shall be permitted in corridors, at both sides ofthe corridor, as follows:(a) Each projection shall not exceed a depth of 6 in. (150 mm).(b) Each projection shall not exceed a length of 36 in. (915 mm).(c) Each projection shall be positioned not less than 40 in. (1015 mm) above the floor.(d) Each projection shall have a minimum 48 in. (1220 mm) horizontal separation from adjacent projections.

The requirement of 19.2.3.4 shall not apply to exit access within a room or suite of rooms complying with therequirements of 19.2.5.

The minimum clear width for doors in the means of egress from sleeping rooms; diagnostic and treatmentareas, such as x-ray, surgery, or physical therapy; and nursery rooms shall be as follows, unless otherwise modified by19.2.3.619.2.3.5:

(1) Hospitals and nursing homes — 41½ in. (1055 mm)(2) Psychiatric hospitals and limited care facilities— 32 in. (810 mm)

The requirements of 19.2.3.519.2.3.4(1) and (2) shall not apply to the following:(1) Doors that are located so as not to be subject to use by any health care occupant shall be not less than 32 in.

(810 mm) in clear width.(2) Doors in exit stair enclosures shall be not less than 32 in. (810 mm) in clear width.(3) Doors serving newborn nurseries shall be not less than 32 in. (810 mm) in clear width.(4) Where a pair of doors is provided, not less than one of the doors shall provide not less than a 32 in. (810 mm)

clear width opening, and a rabbet, bevel, or astragal shall be provided at the meeting edge, and the inactive leaf shallhave an automatic flush bolt to provide positive latching.

The number of means of egress shall be in accordance with Section 7.4.Not less than two exits shall be provided on every story.Not less than two separate exits shall be accessible from every part of every story.Not less than two exits shall be accessible from each smoke compartment, and egress shall be permitted

through an adjacent compartment(s) but provided that the two required egress paths are arranged so that both do notpass through the same adjacent smoke compartmentshall not require return through the compartment of fire origin.

Arrangement of means of egress shall comply with Section 11.5.Dead-end corridors shall not exceed 30 ft (9.1 m).

Common path of travel shall not exceed 100 ft (30 m).This public input was prepared by a task group of the NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care

Occupancies, consisting of Michael Crowley – Chair, Chad Beebe, Thomas Jaeger, Henry Kowalenko, James Lathrop,and Daniel O’Connor. In previous revision cycles, changes were made to the health care occupancies chapters of NFPA


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 5000101, , but similar changes were not made to the health care occupancies chapter of NFPA 5000,



_______________________________________________________________________________________________5000- Log #210 BLD-HEA


Add new text to read:When measuring the areas of suites, the measurement shall be a gross measurement of all areas serving




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Intervening rooms shall not be hazardous areas as defined by 19.3.2.Hazardous areas within a suite shall be separated from the remainder of the suite in accordance with 19.3.2.1,

unless otherwise provided in 19.2.5.7.1.3(C).Hazardous areas within a suite shall not be required to be separated from the remainder of the suite where

complying with all the following:(1) The suite is primarily a hazardous area.(2) The suite is protected by an approved automatic smoke detection system in accordance with Section 55.2.(3) The suite is separated from the rest of the health care facility as required for a hazardous area by 19.3.2.1.

The subdivision of suites shall be by means of noncombustible or limited-combustiblepartitions or partitions constructed with fire-retardant-treated wood enclosed with noncombustible or limited-combustiblematerials, and such partitions shall not be required to be fire ratedSubdivision of suites shall be by means ofnoncombustible or limited-combustible partitions, and such partitions shall not be required to be fire rated.

Patient care sleeping Sleeping suites shall be in accordance with thefollowing:

(1) Sleeping patient-care suites for patient care shall comply with the provisions of 19.2.5.7.2.1 through19.2.5.7.2.4.

(2) Sleeping, non-patient-care suites not for patient care shall comply with the provisions of 19.2.5.7.4.

Occupants of habitable rooms within patient care sleeping suites shall have exit access to a corridor complyingwith 19.3.6 , or to a horizontal exit, directly from the suitewithout having to pass through more than one interveningroom.

Where two or more exit access doors are required from the suite by 19.2.5.5.1, one of the exit access doors shallbe permitted to be directly to an exit stair, exit passageway, or exit door to the exterior

Patient care sleeping suites shall be provided with constant staff supervision within the suite.Patient care sSleeping suites shall be arranged in accordance with one of the following:

(1)* Patient sleeping rooms within patient care sleeping suites shall provide one of the following:(a) The patient sleeping rooms shall be arranged to allow for direct supervision from a normally attended location

within the suite, such as is provided by glass walls, and cubicle curtains shall be permitted.(b) Any patient sleeping rooms without the direct supervision required by 19.2.5.7.2.1(C)(1)(a) shall be provided

with smoke detection in accordance with Section 55.2 and 19.3.4.(2) Patient care sSleeping suites shall be provided with a total (complete) coverage automatic smoke detection

system in accordance with 55.2.2.3 and 19.3.4.

Patient care sSleeping suites of more than 1000 ft2 (93 m2) shall have not less than two exit access doorsremotely located from each other.

One means of egress from the suite shall be directly to a corridor complying with 19.3.6.For suites requiring two means of egress, one means of egress from the suite shall be permitted to be into

another suite, provided that the separation between the suites complies with the corridor requirements of 19.3.6.2through 19.3.6.5.

Patient care sSleeping suites shall not exceed 5000 7500 ft2 (465 700 m2), unless otherwise provided in19.2.5.7.2.3(B).

Patient care sSleeping suites shall not exceedgreater than 7500 ft2 (700 m2) and not exceeding 10,000 ft2 (930m2) shall be permitted where both of the following are provided in the suite:

Direct visual supervision in accordance with 19.2.5.7.2.1(C)(1)(a)(2) Total coverage (complete) automatic smoke detection in accordance with 55.2.2.3 and 19.3.4

Travel distance between any point in a patient care sleeping suite and an exit access door from that suite shallnot exceed 100 ft (30 m).


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 5000Travel distance between any point in a patient care sleeping suite and an exit shall not exceed 200 ft (61 m).

Patient care nNon-sleeping suites shall be in accordance with thefollowing:

(1) Non-sleeping patient-care suites for patient care shall comply with the provisions of 19.2.5.7.3.1 through19.2.5.7.3.4.

(2) Non-sleeping, non-patient-care suites not for patient care shall comply with the provisions of 19.2.5.67.4.Occupants of habitable rooms within

patient care non-sleeping suites shall have exit access to a corridor complying with 19.3.6 without having to passthrough more than two intervening rooms.

Occupants of habitable rooms within non-sleeping suites shall have exit access to a corridor complying with19.3.6, or to a horizontal exit, directly from the suite.

Where two or more exit access doors are required from the suite by 19.2.5.5.2, one of the exit access doors shallbe permitted to be directly to an exit stair, exit passageway, or exit door to the exterior.

Patient care nNon-sleeping suites of more than 2500 ft2 (232 m2) shall have not less than two exit access doorsremotely located from each other.

One means of egress from the suite shall be directly to a corridor complying with 19.3.6.

For suites requiring two means of egress, one means of egress from the suite shall be permitted to be intoanother suite, provided that the separation between the suites complies with the corridor requirements of 19.3.6.2through 19.3.6.5.

Patient care nNon-sleeping suites shall not exceed10,000 ft2 (929 m2).

Travel distance within a non-sleeping suite to an exit access door from the suite shall not exceed the following:

(1) 100 ft (30 m). where the suite is arranged with one intervening room

(2) 50 ft (15 m) where the suite is arranged with two intervening rooms

Travel distance between any point in a patient care non-sleeping suite and an exit shall not exceed 200 ft (61 m).The egress provisions for non-patient care suites shall be in accordance with

the primary use and occupancy of the space, except that, in no case, shall the maximum travel distance to an exit fromwithin the suite exceed 200 ft (61 m).





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(C) Patient care sleeping suites shall be arranged in accordance with one of the following:(1) Patient sleeping rooms within patient care sleeping suites shall provide one of the following:(a) The patient sleeping rooms shall be arranged to allow for direct supervision from a normally attended location

within the suite, such as is provided by glass walls, and cubicle curtains shall be permitted.(b) Any patient sleeping rooms without the direct supervision required by 19.2.5.7.2.1(C)(1)(a) shall be provided with

smoke detection in accordance with Section 55.2 and 19.3.4.(2) Patient care sleeping suites shall be provided with a total (complete) coverage automatic smoke detection system

in accordance with 55.2.2.3 and 19.3.4.

The proposed annex note is intended to clarify the requirements for direct supervision of patientsleeping rooms and what alternative measures are permitted under what circumstances and details when smokedetection is required in patient sleeping rooms only vs. throughout the suite. For example, if all sleeping rooms in a suitewere not provided with visual supervision, a designer could provide smoke detection in every patient sleeping room andmeet the requirements of 19.2.5.7.2.1(C)(1)(b). It is understood the intent of the code in this instance is for the entiresuite to be provided with smoke detection. If that is not the intent of the code, why would a design professional design asuite with total coverage automatic smoke detection when providing smoke detection in patient sleeping rooms onlymeets the sleeping suite arrangement requirements of the Code?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________5000- Log #271 BLD-HEA


Revise to read:Patient care non Non-sleeping suites shall not exceed

1012,000 500 ft2 (929 1161 m2), unless otherwise provided in 19.2.5.7.3.3(A).Non-sleeping suites greater than 12,500 ft² (1161 m²) and not exceeding 15,000 ft² (1394 m²) shall be

permitted where provided with total coverage (complete) automatic smoke detection in accordance with 19.3.4 and55.2.2.3.

Over the past 15 years the AIA and/or FGI Guidelines for Planning of Healthcare Facilities haveincreased the required room size for exam rooms, treatment rooms, and also require additional rooms such as bariatricrooms. The required area for patient treatment has been increased without increasing the allowable size of non-sleepingsuites. The 10,000 sq ft limitation for non-sleeping suites was in the Code prior to the sprinkler protection requirement innew health care occupancies. Sprinkler protection provides additional life safety to building occupants which justifies thearea increase to 12,500 sq ft. Providing an automatic smoke detection system throughout the suite provides anadditional level of life safety which justifies increasing the area to 15,000 sq ft. The justification to increase the size ofnon-sleeping suites is similar to the increase in sleeping suite size in recent editions of the Code. Sprinkler protectionand smoke detection are very effective measures of providing life safety to building occupants and address theproposed increase in the area of non-sleeping suites.


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Revise text to read as follows:Means of egress shall have signs in accordance with Section 11.10, unless otherwise permitted by

19.2.10.2 or 19.2.10.3.Where the path of egress travel is obvious, signs shall not be required at gates in outside secured areas.Access to exits within rooms or sleeping suites shall not be required to be marked where staff is

responsible for relocating or evacuating occupants.Illumination of required exit and directional signs in buildings equipped with, or in which patients use,

life-support systems shall be provided as follows:(1) Illumination shall be supplied by the life safety branch of the electrical system as described in NFPA 99,

.(2) Self-luminous exit signs complying with 11.10.4 shall be permitted.

Means of egress shall have signs in accordance with Section 11.10.Buildings equipped with, or in which patients require the use of, life-support systems shall

have illumination of the required exit and directional signs supplied by the life safety branch of the electrical system asdescribed in NFPA 99.

The requirement of 19.2.10.2 shall not apply to self-luminous exit signs in accordance with 11.10.7.This public input was prepared by a task group of the NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care

Occupancies, consisting of Michael Crowley – Chair, Chad Beebe, Thomas Jaeger, Henry Kowalenko, James Lathrop,and Daniel O’Connor. In previous revision cycles, changes were made to the health care occupancies chapters of NFPA101, , but similar changes were not made to the health care occupancies chapter of NFPA 5000,




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Any vertical opening shall be enclosed or protected in accordance with Section 8.12, unless otherwisemodified by 19.3.1.1 through 19.3.1.6. Unprotected openings in accordance with 8.12.2 shall not be permitted.

The requirements of 19.3.1.1 shall not apply where otherwise permitted by one of the following:(1) Unprotected vertical openings in accordance with 8.12.5 shall be permitted.(2) The provisions of 8.12.3(1)(a) shall not be permitted to apply to patient sleeping and treatment rooms.(3) Multilevel patient sleeping areas in psychiatric facilities shall be permitted without enclosure protection between

levels, provided that all of the following conditions are met:(a) The entire normally occupied area, including all communicating floor levels, is sufficiently open and

unobstructed, so that a fire or other dangerous condition in any part is obvious to the occupants or supervisorypersonnel in the area.

(b) Egress capacity is sufficient to provide simultaneously for all the occupants of all communicating levels andareas, with all communicating levels in the same fire area being considered as a single floor area for purposes ofdetermination of required egress capacity.

(c) The height between the highest and lowest finished floor levels is not more than 13 ft (3960 mm), with thenumber of levels permitted to be unrestricted.

A door in a stair enclosure shall be self-closing and shall normally be kept in the closed position.The requirement of 19.3.1.3 shall not apply to doors in stair enclosures held open under the conditions

specified by 19.2.2.2.7 and 19.2.2.2.8.Unprotected vertical openings in accordance with 8.12.5.1 shall be permitted.Subparagraph 8.12.3(1)(a) shall not apply to patient sleeping and treatment rooms.Multilevel patient sleeping areas in psychiatric facilities shall be permitted without enclosure protection

between levels, provided that all of the following conditions are met:(1) The entire normally occupied area, including all communicating floor levels, is sufficiently open and

unobstructed so that a fire or other dangerous condition in any part is obvious to the occupants or supervisory personnelin the area.

(2) The egress capacity provides simultaneously for all the occupants of all communicating levels and areas, withall communicating levels in the same fire area being considered as a single floor area for purposes of determination ofrequired egress capacity.

(3) The height between the highest and lowest finished floor levels does not exceed 13 ft (3960 mm), and thenumber of levels is permitted to be unrestricted.

Unprotected openings in accordance with 8.12.2 shall not be permitted.A door in a stair enclosure shall be self-closing and shall normally be kept in the closed position, unless

otherwise permitted by 18.3.1.6.Doors in stair enclosures shall be permitted to be held open under the conditions specified by 19.2.2.2.7 and

19.2.2.2.8.This public input was prepared by a task group of the NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care





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Any hazardous area shall be protected in accordance with Section 8.15 and Chapter 34.The areas described in Table 19.3.2.1 shall be protected as indicated.





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5000/L34/R/A2014/ROP

Table 19.3.2.1 Hazardous Area Protection

Hazardous Area Description Separation/ProtectionProtection/Separation†

…

† Minimum fire resistance rating.

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Commercial cCooking facilities shall be protected in accordance with Section 55.10, unless otherwisepermitted by 19.3.2.5.2, 19.3.2.5.3, or 19.3.2.5.4.

Where domestic cooking equipment is used for food warming or limited cooking, protection or separationof food preparation facilities shall not be required.

Where residential cooking equipment is used for food warming or limited cooking, the equipment shall notbe required to be protected in accordance with 50.1(6), and the presence of the equipment shall not require the area tobe protected as a hazardous area.



(2) The cooktop or range is equipped with a range hood of a width at least equal to the width of the cooking surface,with grease baffles or other grease-collecting and clean-out capability.

The hood systems have a minimum airflow of 500 cfm (14,000 L/min).(4) The hood systems that are not ducted to the exterior additionally have a charcoal filter to remove smoke and odor.(5) The cooktop or range complies with all of the following:

(a) The cooktop or range is protected with a fire suppression system listed in accordance with UL 300,, or is tested and meets

all requirements of UL 300A, , inaccordance with the applicable testing document's scope.

(b) A manual release of the extinguishing system is provided in accordance with NFPA 96,, Section 10.5.

(c) An interlock is provided to turn off all sources of fuel and electrical power to the cooktop or range when thesuppression system is activated.

The use of solid fuel for cooking is prohibited.Deep-fat frying is prohibited

(8) Portable fire extinguishers in accordance with NFPA 96 are located in all kitchen areas.A switch meeting all of the following is provided:

(a) A locked switch, or a switch located in a restricted location, is provided within the cooking facility that deactivatesthe cooktop or range.

(b) The switch is used to deactivate the cooktop or range whenever the kitchen is not under staff supervision.(c) The switch is on a timer, not exceeding a 120-minute capacity, that automatically deactivates the cooktop or

range, independent of staff action.(10) Procedures for the use, inspection, testing, and maintenance of the cooking equipment are in accordance with

Chapter 11 of NFPA 96 and the manufacturer’s instructions and are followed.Not less than two AC-powered photoelectric smoke alarms, interconnected in accordance with 9.6.2.10.3,

equipped with a silence feature, and in accordance with , , arelocated not closer than 20 ft (6.1 m) from the cooktop or range.

(12) No smoke detector is located less than 20 ft (6.1 m) from the cooktop or range.

Within a smoke compartment, residential or commercial cooking equipment that is used to prepare mealsfor 30 or fewer persons shall be permitted, provided that the cooking facility complies with all of the following conditions:

(1) The space containing the cooking equipment is not a sleeping room.(2) The space containing the cooking equipment is separated from the corridor by partitions complying with 19.3.6.2

through 19.3.6.5.(3) The requirements of 19.3.2.5.3(1) through (10) are met.

Where cooking facilities are protected in accordance with 50.1(6), the presence of the cooking equipment


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 5000shall not cause the room or space housing the equipment to be classified as a hazardous area with respect to therequirements of 19.3.2.1, and the room or space shall not be permitted to be open to the corridor.




_______________________________________________________________________________________________5000- Log #36 BLD-HEA


Revise text to read as follows:(5) Not more than an aggregate 10 gal (37.8 L) of alcohol-based hand-rub solution or 1135 oz (32.2 kg) of Level 1

aerosols, or a combination of liquids and Level 1 aerosols not to exceed, in total, the equivalent of 10 gal (37.8 L) or1135 oz (32.2 kg), shall be in use outside of a storage cabinet in a single smoke compartment.





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Revise text to read as follows:Interior wall and ceiling finish material complying with Chapter shall be

permitted throughout if Class A, except as indicated in 19.3.3.2.1 or 19.3.3.2.2.Class A or Class B interior wall andceiling finish materials in accordance with Chapter 10 shall be permitted throughout, except as indicated in 19.3.3.2.1 or19.3.3.2.2. The provisions of 10.7.1 shall not apply.

Walls and ceilings shall be permitted to have Class A, Class B, or Class C B interior finish in individualrooms having a capacity not exceeding four persons.

Corridor wall finish not exceeding 48 in. (1220 mm) in height that is restricted to the lower half of the wallshall be permitted to be Class A, Class B, or Class CB.





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Revise text to read as follows:Initiation of the required fire alarm systems shall be by manual means in accordance with 55.2.2 and by

means of any required sprinkler system waterflow alarms, detection devices, or detection systems, unless otherwisepermitted by 19.3.4.2.2.

Manual fire alarm boxes in patient sleeping areas shall not be required at exits if located at all nurses'control stations or other continuously attended staff location, provided that both of the following are met:

(1) sSuch manual fire alarm boxes are visible and continuously accessible(2) and that tTravel distances required by 55.2.2.1.5 are not exceeded.

Positive alarm sequence in accordance with 55.2.3.4 shall be permitted.

Occupant notification shall be accomplished automatically in accordance with 55.2.3, unless otherwisemodified by the following:

(1). Use of the provisions of 55.2.3.2.3 shall be prohibited.(2)* In lieu of audible alarm signals, visible alarm-indicating appliances shall be permitted to be used in

critical care areas.This public input was prepared by a task group of the NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care





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Revise text to read as follows:Operation of any activating device in the required fire alarm system shall be arranged

to accomplish automatically, without delay, any control functions required to be performed by that device.Detection in spaces open to corridors shall be in accordance with

See 19.3.6.1.This public input was prepared by a task group of the NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care


. Some of the missed changes were an oversight bythe committee. Others could not be made to NFPA 5000 at, what was then, the ROC stage of the revision processbecause the subject had not been raised by a proposal in the ROP stage.



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Buildings containing health care facilities shall be protected throughout by an approved, electricallysupervised automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 55.3, unless otherwise permitted by 19.3.5.3.

The sprinkler system required by 19.3.5.1 shall be installed in accordance with 55.3.1.1(1).In Type I and Type II construction, alternative protection measures shall be permitted to be substituted for

sprinkler protection required by 19.3.5.1 in specified areas where the authority having jurisdiction has prohibitedsprinklers, and such alternative measures shall not be considered as causing a building to be classified asnonsprinklered.

Listed quick-response or listed residential sprinklers shall be used throughout smoke compartmentscontaining patient sleeping rooms.

Where another provision of this chapter requires an automatic sprinkler system to be electricallysupervised, the sprinkler system shall be electrically supervised in accordance with 55.3.2.

Sprinklers in areas where cubicle curtains are installed shall be in accordance with NFPA 13,.

Class I standpipes in accordance with Section 55.4 shall be provided in buildings where either of thefollowing conditions exist:

(1) An occupiable area is more than 200 ft (61 m) from the nearest point of fire department vehicle access in otherthan buildings protected throughout by an approved, electrically supervised automatic sprinkler system in accordancewith Section 55.3.

(2) An occupiable floor level is more than 30 ft (9.1 m) above or below the level of fire department vehicle access.Portable fire extinguishers shall be provided in all health care occupancies in accordance with Section

55.6.

Corridors shall be separated from all other areas by partitions complying with 19.3.6.2 through19.3.6.5 unless otherwise permitted by one of the following:

(1) Spaces shall be permitted to be unlimited in area and open to the corridor, provided that all of the followingcriteria are met:

(a)* The spaces are not used for patient sleeping rooms, treatment rooms, or hazardous areas.

(6) Cooking facilities in accordance with 19.3.2.5.3 shall be permitted to be open to the corridor.This public input was prepared by a task group of the NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care





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Corridor walls shall form a barrier to limit the transfer of smoke. Such walls shall be permitted to terminateat the ceiling where the ceiling is constructed to limit the transfer of smoke.

No fire resistance rating shall be required for corridor walls.Corridor walls shall form a barrier to limit the transfer of smoke.

Doors protecting corridor openings shall be constructed to resist the passage of smoke and the followingalso shall apply:.

Compliance with NFPA 80 shall not be required.Clearance between the bottom of the door and the floor covering not exceeding 1 in. (25 mm) shall

be permitted for corridor doors.The requirements of 19.3.6.3.1 shall not apply to doors to toilet rooms, bathrooms, shower rooms,

sink closets, and similar auxiliary spaces that do not contain flammable or combustible materials.Doors shall be self-latching and provided with positive latching hardware.Doors to toilet rooms, bathrooms, shower rooms, sink closets, and similar auxiliary spaces that do not

contain flammable or combustible materials shall not be required to meet the latching requirements of 19.3.6.3.2.Powered doors that comply with the requirements of 11.2.1.9 shall not be required to meet the latching

requirements of 18.3.6.3.2, provided that both of the following criteria are met:(1) The door is equipped with a means for keeping the door closed that is acceptable to the authority having

jurisdiction.(2) The device used is capable of keeping the door fully closed if a force of 5 lbf (22 N) is applied at the latch edge

of a swinging door and applied in any direction to a sliding or folding door, whether or not power is applied.Corridor doors utilizing an inactive leaf shall have automatic flush bolts on the inactive leaf to provide

positive latching.

Roller latches shall be prohibited, except as permitted by 19.3.6.3.6.2Roller latches shall be permitted for acute psychiatric settings where patient special clinical needs

require specialized protective measures for their safety, provided that the roller latches are capable of keeping the doorfully closed if a force of 5 lbf (22 N) is applied at the latch edge of the door.

Doors shall not be held open by devices other than those that release when the door is pushed or pulled.Door-closing devices shall not be required on doors in corridor wall openings other than those serving

required exits, smoke barriers, or enclosures of vertical openings and hazardous areas.Nonrated, factory- or field-applied protective plates, unlimited in height, shall be permitted.Dutch doors shall be permitted where they conform to 19.3.6.3 and meet all of the following criteria:

(1) Both the upper leaf and lower leaf are equipped with a latching device.(2) The meeting edges of the upper and lower leaves are quipped with an astragal, a rabbet, or a bevel.(3) Where protecting openings in enclosures around hazardous areas, the doors comply with NFPA 80.

Doors shall be self-latching and provided with positive latching hardware.Roller latches shall be prohibited.The requirements of 19.3.6.3.2 and 19.3.6.3.2.1 shall not apply to doors to toilet rooms, bathrooms,

shower rooms, sink closets, and similar auxiliary spaces that do not contain flammable or combustible materials.Corridor doors utilizing an inactive leaf shall have automatic flush bolts on the inactive leaf to provide

positive latching.Doors shall not be held open by devices other than those that release when the door is pushed or pulled.Door-closing devices shall not be required on doors in corridor wall openings, other than those serving

required exits, smoke barriers, or enclosures of vertical openings and hazardous areas.Nonrated, factory- or field-applied protective plates, unlimited in height, shall be permitted.Dutch doors shall be permitted where they conform to 19.3.6.3. In addition, both the upper leaf and lower

leaf shall be equipped with a latching device, and the meeting edges of the upper and lower leaves shall be equippedwith an astragal, a rabbet, or a bevel. Dutch doors protecting openings in enclosures around hazardous areas shall


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 5000comply with NFPA 80.




_______________________________________________________________________________________________5000- Log #212 BLD-HEA


Revise to read:Doors, including doors to nurse servers and pass-thru openings, protecting corridor openings shall be

constructed to resist the passage of smoke.The first change will eliminate the confusion about the applicability of these requirements to nurse

servers and pass-thru openings by taking the language that is currently in the annex in reference to nurse servers andplacing it directly in the Code. The second change clarifies the requirements for the protection of pass-thru openings,which are currently not discussed.


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Revise text to read as follows:In other than smoke compartments containing patient bedrooms, miscellaneous openings, such

as mail slots, pharmacy pass-through windows, laboratory pass-through windows, and cashier pass-through windows,shall be permitted to be installed in vision panels or doors without special protection, provided that both of the followingcriteria are met:

(1)* The aggregate area of openings per room does not exceed 80 in.2 (0.05 m2).(2) The openings are installed at or below half the distance from the floor to the room ceiling.the aggregate area of

openings per room does not exceed 80 in.2 (0.05 m2) and the openings are installed at or below one-half the distancefrom the floor to the room ceiling.





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Buildings containing health care facilities shall be subdivided by smoke barriers , unlessotherwise permitted by 19.3.7.2, as follows:

(1) To divide every story used by inpatients for sleeping or treatment into not less than two smoke compartments(2) To divide every story having an occupant load of 50 or more persons, regardless of use, into not less than two

smoke compartments(3) To limit the size of each smoke compartment required by 19.3.7.1(1) and (2) to an area not exceeding 22,500 ft2

(2100 m2), unless the area is an atrium separated in accordance with 8.12.3, in which case no limitation in size isrequired

(4) To limit the travel distance from any point to reach a door in the required smoke barrier to a distance not exceeding200 ft (61 m)

The smoke barrier subdivision requirement of 19.3.7.1 shall not apply to any of the following:(1) Stories that do not contain a health care occupancy located directly above the health care occupancy(2) Areas that do not contain a health care occupancy and that are separated from the health care occupancy by a fire

barrier complying with 11.2.4.3(3) Stories that do not contain a health care occupancy and that are more than one story below the health care

occupancy(4) Stories located directly below a health care occupancy where such stories house mechanical equipment only and

are separated from the story above by 2-hour fire resistance–rated construction(5) Open-air parking structures protected throughout by an approved, supervised automatic sprinkler system in

accordance with Section 55.3Any required smoke barrier shall be constructed in accordance with Section 8.11 and shall have a minimum

1-hour fire resistance rating, unless otherwise permitted by one of the following:(1) This requirement shall not apply where an atrium is used, and both of the following criteria also shall apply:(a) Smoke barriers shall be permitted to terminate at an atrium wall constructed in accordance with 8.12.3(1)(b).(b) Not less than two separate smoke compartments shall be provided on each floor.

Smoke dampers shall not be required in duct penetrations of smoke barriers in fully ducted heating, ventilating,and air-conditioning systems.

Buildings containing health care facilities shall be subdivided by smoke barriers as specified in 19.3.7.1.1through 19.3.7.1.6.

Every story used by inpatients for sleeping or treatment shall be divided into not less than two smokecompartments.

Every story having an occupant load of 50 or more persons, regardless of use, shall be divided into notless than two smoke compartments.

The size of each smoke compartment required by 19.3.7.1.1 and 19.3.7.1.2 shall be limited to an area notexceeding 22,500 ft2 (2100 m2).

The area of an atrium separated in accordance with 8.12.3 shall not be limited in size.The travel distance from any point to reach a door in the required smoke barrier shall be limited to a

distance not exceeding 200 ft (61 m).The requirements of 19.3.7.1.1 through 19.3.7.1.5 shall not apply to any of the following:

(1) Stories that do not contain a health care occupancy and that are located directly above the health careoccupancy

(2) Areas that do not contain a health care occupancy and that are separated from the health care occupancy by afire barrier complying with 11.2.4.3

(3) Stories that do not contain health care occupancies and that are more than one story below the health careoccupancy

(4) Open-air parking structures protected throughout by an approved, electrically supervised automatic sprinklersystem in accordance with Section 55.3

Any required smoke barrier shall be constructed in accordance with Section 8.11 and shall have a fireresistance rating of not less than 1 hour.


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 5000Where an atrium is used, smoke barriers shall be permitted to terminate at an atrium wall constructed in

accordance with 8.12.3(1)(b). Not less than two separate smoke compartments shall be provided on each floor.Smoke dampers shall not be required in duct penetrations of smoke barriers in fully ducted heating,

ventilating, and air-conditioning systems for buildings protected throughout by an approved, electrically supervisedautomatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 55.3.

Not less than 30 net ft2 (2.8 net m2) per patient in a hospital or nursing home, or not less than 15 net ft2 (1.4net m2) per resident in a limited care facility, shall be provided within the aggregate area of corridors, patient rooms,treatment rooms, lounge or dining areas, and other common areas on each side of the smoke barrier. On stories nothousing patients confined to beds or litterborne patients, not less than 6 net ft2 (0.56 net m2) per occupant shall beprovided on each side of the smoke barrier for the total number of occupants in adjoining compartments.

Doors in smoke barriers shall be substantial doors, such as 1¾ in. (44 mm) thick, solid-bonded wood-coredoors, or shall be of construction that resists fire for not less than 20 minutes, and shall meet the following requirements:

(1) Nonrated factory- or field-applied protective plates, unlimited in height, shall be permitted.(2) Cross-corridor openings in smoke barriers shall be protected by a pair of swinging doors or a horizontal-sliding

door complying with 11.2.1.14, unless otherwise permitted by 19.3.7.5.(3) The swinging doors addressed by 19.3.7.4(2) shall be arranged so that each door swings in a direction

opposite from the other.(4) The minimum clear width for swinging doors shall be as follows:(a) Hospitals and nursing homes — 41½ in. (1055 mm)(b) Psychiatric hospitals and limited care facilities— 32 in. (810 mm)

(5) The minimum clear width opening for horizontal-sliding doors shall be as follows:(a) Hospitals and nursing homes — 6 ft 11 in. (2110 mm)(b) Psychiatric hospitals and limited care facilities— 64 in. (1625 mm)

(6) The clearance under the bottom of smoke barrier doors shall not exceed ¾ in. (19 mm).Cross-corridor openings in smoke barriers that are not located in a required means of egress from a health

care space shall be permitted to be protected by a single-leaf door.Doors in smoke barriers shall meet all of the following criteria:

(1) The doors shall comply with 8.11.4 but shall be exempted from 8.11.4.1, which requires compliance with NFPA105.

(2) The doors shall be self-closing or automatic-closing in accordance with 19.2.2.2.7.

(3) Latching hardware shall not be required.

(4) Stops shall be required at the head and sides of door frames.

(5) Rabbets, bevels, or astragals shall be required at the meeting edges of pairs of doors.

(6) Center mullions shall be prohibited.

(7) Clearance under the bottom of the doors shall not exceed ¾ in. (19 mm).Vision panels consisting of fire-rated glazing or wired glass panels in approved frames shall be provided in

each cross-corridor swinging door and at each cross-corridor horizontal-sliding door in a smoke barrier.Vision panels in doors in smoke barriers, if provided, shall be of fire-rated glazing or wired glass in

approved frames.This public input was prepared by a task group of the NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care



The many changes proposed by this public input are strictly for correlation with text that appears in the 2012 edition ofNFPA 101. No technical substantiation for these changes is provided as each issue was fully vetted, technically, whenthe provision was added to NFPA 101 or revised in NFPA 101. It is the intent of the Technical Committee on HealthCare Occupancies, as directed by the NFPA 101 and NFPA 5000 Correlating Committees, that the health care chapter


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 5000of NFPA 101 for new construction and that of NFPA 5000 read as nearly as identical as possible given the slightlydifferent scopes of the two documents.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________5000- Log #213 BLD-HEA


Revise to read:(2) Areas that do not contain a health care occupancy and that are separated from the health care occupancy by a

vertical fire barrier complying with 11.2.4.3.This change eliminates the confusion that the slab can be classified as the barrier. The reference is

specific to the horizontal exit fire barrier and as such is required to be vertical; however, many apply this requirementincorrectly by stating that the horizontal slab can serve as the separating barrier.


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Limited access structures buildings or windowless portions of structuresbuildings shall not be used for patient sleeping rooms and shall comply with Section 31.3. Windowless structures orwindowless portions of structures shall comply with Chapter 31.

High-rise buildings shall comply with Chapter 33.

Where a modification in a nonsprinklered smoke compartment is exempted by the provisions of15.5.1.3.5 from the sprinkler requirement of 19.1.1.4.3, the requirements of 19.4.3.2 through 19.4.3.7 shall apply.

Thecapacity of the means of egress serving the modification area shall be as follows:

(1) 0.5 in. (13 mm) per person for horizontal travel, without stairs, by means such as doors, ramps, or level floorsurfaces

(2) 0.6 in. (15 mm) per person for travel by means of stairs

The travel distance between any room door required as an exit access and an exit shall not exceed thefollowing:

(1) 150 ft (46 m) where the travel is wholly within smoke compartments protected throughout by an approved,supervised automatic sprinkler system in accordance with

(2) 100 ft (30 m) where the travel is not wholly within smoke compartments protected throughout by an approved,supervised automatic sprinkler system in accordance with

The travel distance between any point in a room and an exit shall not exceed the following:(1) 200 ft (61 m) where the travel is wholly within smoke compartments protected throughout by an approved

supervised sprinkler system in accordance with 19.3.5.(2) 150 ft (46 m) where the travel is not wholly within smoke compartments protected throughout by an approved

supervised sprinkler system in accordance with 19.3.5The travel distance for the means of egress serving the modification area shall comply with 19.4.3.3.2 and

19.4.3.3.3.The travel distance between any room door required as an exit access and an exit shall not exceed 100 ft

(30 m).The travel distance between any point in a room and an exit shall not exceed 150 ft (46 m).

Where themodification involves creating a new hazardous area in an existing nonsprinklered smoke compartment, the hazardousarea itself shall be protected with automatic sprinklers in accordance with Section 55.3 in addition to the protectionrequired by Table 19.3.2.1.

Interior finish within the modification area shall be in accordance with Chapter 10, and 19.4.3.5.2through and 19.4.3.5.3.

See 19.3.3.2. Newly installed Class A interior wall and ceiling finishmaterials in accordance with Chapter 10 shall be permitted throughout nonsprinklered smoke compartments, except asotherwise permitted in 19.4.3.5.2.1 or 19.4.3.5.2.2.

Walls and ceilings shall be permitted to have Class A or Class B interior finish in individual rooms havinga capacity not exceeding four persons.

Corridor wall finish not exceeding 48 in. (1220 mm) in height that is restricted to the lower half of the wallshall be permitted to be Class A or Class B.

See 19.3.3.3. Newly installed interior floor finish in accordance with Section 10.6 incorridors and exits of nonsprinklered smoke compartments shall be Class I.

Where the smoke compartment being modified is not protected throughout by an approved, electricallysupervised automatic sprinkler system, corridor walls shall comply with all of the following, as modified by 19.4.3.6.1.2:


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 5000(1) They shall have a fire resistance rating of not less than ½ hour.(2) They shall be continuous from the floor to the underside of the floor or roof deck above.(3) They shall resist the passage of smoke.

The requirements of 19.4.3.6.1.1 shall be permitted to be modified for conditions permitted by 19.3.6.1(1)through (6).

Where the smoke compartment being modified is not protected throughout by an approved, electricallysupervised automatic sprinkler system, all of the following shall apply:

(1) Doors protecting corridor openings shall be constructed of 1¾ in. (44 mm) thick, solid-bonded core wood or ofconstruction that resists the passage of fire for not less than 20 minutes.

(2) Door frames shall be labeled or of steel construction.(3) Existing roller latches demonstrated to keep the door closed against a force of 5 lbf (22 N) shall be permitted.

Door-closing devices shall be required on doors in corridor wall openings serving smoke barriers orenclosures of exits, hazardous contents areas, or vertical openings.

Theprovision of 19.3.7.2.2 shall be permitted only where adjacent smoke compartments are protected throughout by anapproved, electrically supervised automatic sprinkler system in accordance with 19.3.5.





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Revise text to read as follows:Any heating device, other than a central heating plant, shall be designed and installed so that combustible

material cannot be ignited by the device or its appurtenances, and the following requirements shall also apply:(1) If fuel-fired, such heating devices shall comply with the following:

(a) They shall be chimney connected or vent connected.(b) They shall take air for combustion directly from outside.(c) They shall be designed and installed to provide for complete separation of the combustion system from the

atmosphere of the occupied area.(2) Any heating device shall have safety features to immediately stop the flow of fuel and shut down the equipment in

case of either excessive temperatures or ignition failure.The requirements of 19.5.2.2 shall not apply where otherwise permitted by the following:

(1) Approved, suspended unit heaters shall be permitted in locations other than means of egress and patient sleepingareas, provided that both of the following criteria are met:

(a) Such heaters are located high enough to be out of the reach of persons using the area.(b) Such heaters are equipped with the safety features required by 19.5.2.2.

(2) Direct-vent gas fireplaces, as defined in NFPA 54, shall be permitted inside of smoke compartments containingpatient sleeping areas, provided that all of the following criteria are met:

(a) All such devices shall be installed, maintained, and used in accordance with Section 50.1.(b) No such device shall be located inside of a patient sleeping room.(c) The smoke compartment in which the direct-vent gas fireplace is located shall be protected throughout by an

approved, supervised automatic sprinkler system in accordance with 55.3.1.1(1) with listed quick-response or listedresidential sprinklers.

The direct-vent fireplace shall include a sealed glass front with a wire mesh panel or screen.The controls for the direct-vent gas fireplace shall be locked or located in a restricted location.

(f) Electrically supervised carbon monoxide detection in accordance with Section 55.11 shall be provided in the roomwhere the fireplace is located.

(3) Solid fuel–burning fireplaces shall be permitted and used only in areas other than patient sleeping areas, providedthat all of the following criteria are met:

(a) Such areas are separated from patient sleeping spaces by construction having not less than a 1-hour fireresistance rating.

(b) The fireplace complies with the provisions of Section 50.1.(c) The fireplace is equipped with both of the following:i. Hearth raised not less than 4 in. (100 mm)ii. Fireplace enclosure guaranteed against breakage up to a temperature of 650°F (343°C) and constructed of

heat-tempered glass or other approved material(d) Electrically supervised carbon monoxide detection in accordance with Section 55.11 is provided in the room where

the fireplace is located(4) If, in the opinion of the authority having jurisdiction, special hazards are present, a lock on the enclosure specified in

19.5.2.3(3)(c)(ii) and other safety precautions shall be permitted to be required.Any heating device, other than a central heating plant, shall be designed and installed so that combustible

material is not ignited by the device or its appurtenances and shall comply with 19.5.2.2.1 and 19.5.2.2.2.If fuel-fired, heating devices shall be chimney connected or vent connected, shall take air for combustion

directly from the outside, and shall be designed and installed to provide for complete separation of the combustionsystem from the atmosphere of the occupied area.

Any heating device shall have safety features to immediately stop the flow of fuel and shut down theequipment in case of either excessive temperatures or ignition failure.

Approved, suspended unit heaters shall be permitted in locations other than means of egress and patientsleeping areas, provided that such heaters are located high enough to be out of the reach of persons using the area andare equipped with the safety features required by 19.5.2.2.1 and 19.5.2.2.2.

Fireplaces shall be permitted and used only in areas other than patient sleeping areas, provided that suchareas are separated from patient sleeping spaces by construction having not less than a 1-hour fire resistance rating,


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 5000and provided that such fireplaces comply with the provisions of Chapter 50, 19.5.2.2.5, and 19.5.2.2.6.

In addition, the fireplace shall be equipped with a hearth raised not less than 4 in. (100 mm) and afireplace enclosure guaranteed against breakage up to a temperature of 650°F (343°C) and constructed ofheat-tempered glass or other approved material.

If, in the opinion of the authority having jurisdiction, special hazards are present, a lock on the enclosureand other safety precautions shall be permitted to be required.




_______________________________________________________________________________________________5000- Log #45 BLD-HEA


Revise text to read as follows:Chute charging and discharge rooms shall not be required to have more than a 1-hour fire resistance–rated

enclosure.This public input was prepared by a task group of the NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care





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Revise text to read as follows:The provisions of Chapter 1, Administration, shall apply.

The provisions of Chapter 4, General, shall apply.Ambulatory health care facilities shall comply with the provisions of Chapter 28 or this chapter, whichever

are more stringent.This chapter establishes life safety requirements, in addition to those required in Chapter 28, that shall

apply to the design of all ambulatory health care occupancies as defined in 3.3.444.1.Buildings, or sections of buildings, that primarily house patients who, in the opinion of the governing body

of the facility and the governmental agency having jurisdiction, are capable of judgment and appropriate physical actionfor self-preservation under emergency conditions shall be permitted to comply with chapters of this other thanChapter 20.


The goals and objectives of Sections 4.1 and 4.2 shall be met with due considerationfor functional requirements, which are accomplished by limiting the development and spread of a fire emergency to theroom of fire origin and reducing the need for occupant evacuation, except from the room of fire origin.

All ambulatory health care facilities shall be designed, constructed, maintained, and operated to minimizethe possibility of a fire emergency requiring the evacuation of occupants.

Because the safety of ambulatory health care occupants cannot be ensured adequately by dependence onevacuation of the building, their protection from fire shall be provided by appropriate arrangement of facilities; adequate,trained staff; and development of operating and maintenance procedures composed of the following:

(1) Design, construction, and compartmentation(2) Provision for detection, alarm, and extinguishment(3) Fire prevention and planning, training, and drilling programs for the isolation of fire, transfer of occupants to

areas of refuge, or evacuation of the building

Repairs, renovations, modifications, additions, and reconstruction of an ambulatory health care occupancy,and changes of use, including change of occupancy classification to an ambulatory health care occupancy, or correctionof a damaged or unsafe portion of the building containing the ambulatory health care occupancy, shall comply with oneof the following:

(1) Provisions of this chapter(2) Provisions of Chapter 15

The requirements of Chapter 20, where referenced by Chapter 15, shall not apply to additionsclassified as occupancies other than ambulatory health care that are separated from the ambulatory health careoccupancy in accordance with 20.1.2.2 and conform to the requirements for the specific occupancy in accordance withChapters 16 through 19 and Chapters 21 through 30, as appropriate.

Ambulatory health care facilities shall comply with the provisions of Chapter 28 or this chapter, whicheverare more stringent.

Buildings, or sections of buildings, that primarily house patients who, in the opinion of the governing bodyof the facility and the governmental agency having jurisdiction, are capable of judgment and appropriate physical actionfor self-preservation under emergency conditions shall be permitted to comply with chapters of this other thanChapter 20.


See 6.1.6 and 20.1.4.2.A change from a hospital or nursing home to an ambulatory health care

occupancy shall not be considered a change in occupancy or occupancy subclassification.

Multiple occupancies shall be in accordance with Section 6.2 and 20.1.23. Where there are differences inthe specific requirements in this chapter and provisions for mixed occupancies or separated occupancies as specified in


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 50006.2.3 and 6.2.4, the requirements of this chapter shall apply.

Sections of ambulatory health care facilities shall be permitted to be classified as other occupancies,provided that they meet both of the following conditions:

(1) They are not intended to serve ambulatory health care occupants for purposes of treatment or customary accessby patients incapable of self-preservation.

(2) They are separated from areas of ambulatory health care occupancies by construction having a fire resistancerating of not less than 1 hour.

All means of egress from ambulatory health care occupancies that traverse nonambulatory health carespaces shall conform to requirements of this for ambulatory health care occupancies, unless otherwise permittedby 20.1.3.4.

Egress through a horizontal exit into other contiguous occupancies that do not conform with ambulatoryhealth care egress provisions, but that do comply with requirements set forth in the appropriate occupancy chapter ofthis , shall be permitted, provided that the occupancy does not contain high hazard contents exceeding themaximum allowable quantities (MAQ) per control area as set forth in 34.1.3, other than Level 4 hazardous areas.

Egress provisions for areas of ambulatory health care facilities that correspond to other occupanciesshall meet the corresponding requirements of this for such occupancies. Where the clinical needs of the occupantnecessitate the locking of means of egress, staff shall be present for the supervised release of occupants during alltimes of use.

Any area with a hazard of contents classified higher than that of the ambulatory health care occupancyand located in the same building shall be protected as required in 20.3.2.

Non-health care–related occupancies classified as containing high hazard contents exceeding the MAQper control area as set forth in 34.1.3 shall not be permitted in buildings housing ambulatory health care occupancies.


For definitions, see Chapter 3, Definitions.See 3.3.444.1.

Hazard of contents shall be classified in accordance with 6.3.2.Buildings or areas in which high hazard contents are stored, used, or handled shall comply with Chapter

34.

This public input was prepared by a task group of the NFPA Technical Committee on Health CareOccupancies, consisting of Michael Crowley – Chair, Chad Beebe, Thomas Jaeger, Henry Kowalenko, James Lathrop,and Daniel O’Connor. In previous revision cycles, changes were made to the ambulatory health care occupancieschapters of NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, but similar changes were not made to the ambulatory health care occupancieschapter of NFPA 5000, Building Construction and Safety Code. Some of the missed changes were an oversight by thecommittee. Others could not be made to NFPA 5000 at, what was then, the ROC stage of the revision process becausethe subject had not been raised by a proposal in the ROP stage.

The many changes proposed by this public input are strictly for correlation with text that appears in the 2012 edition ofNFPA 101. No technical substantiation for these changes is provided as each issue was fully vetted, technically, whenthe provision was added to NFPA 101 or revised in NFPA 101. It is the intent of the Technical Committee on HealthCare Occupancies, as directed by the NFPA 101 and NFPA 5000 Correlating Committees, that the ambulatory healthcare chapter of NFPA 101 for new construction and that of NFPA 5000 read as nearly as identical as possible given theslightly different scopes of the two documents.


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Revise text to read as follows:Any level below the level of exit discharge shall be separated from the level of exit discharge by not less

than Type II(111), Type III(211), or Type V(111) construction, unless both of the following criteria are met:(1) Such levels are under the control of the ambulatory health care facility.(2) Any hazardous spaces are protected in accordance with Section 8.15.

Interior nonbearing walls in buildings of Type I or Type II construction shall be constructed ofnoncombustible or limited-combustible materials, unless otherwise permitted by 20.1.6.4.

Interior nonbearing walls required to have a minimum 2-hour fire resistance rating shall be permitted to befire-retardant-treated wood enclosed within noncombustible or limited-combustible materials, provided that such wallsare not used as shaft enclosures.

All buildings with more than one level below the level of exit discharge shall have all such lower levelsseparated from the level of exit discharge by not less than Type II(111) construction.

Where new ambulatory health care occupancies are located in existing buildings, the authority havingjurisdiction shall be permitted to accept construction systems of lesser fire resistance than those required by 20.1.6.1through 20.1.6.5, provided that it can be demonstrated to the authority’s satisfaction that prompt evacuation of thefacility can be achieved in case of fire or that the exposing occupancies and materials of construction present no threatof fire penetration from such occupancy to the ambulatory health care facility or to the collapse of the structure.

A single level below the level of exit discharge shall be permitted, provided that it complies with one of thefollowing:

(1) The level is separated from the level of exit discharge by not less than Type II(111), Type III(211), or Type V(111)construction.

(2) The level is under the control of the ambulatory health care facility, and any hazardous areas on the level areprotected in accordance with Chapter 34.

Buildings with more than one level below the level of exit discharge shall have all such lower levelsseparated from the level of exit discharge by not less than Type II(111) construction.




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Revise text to read as follows:Travel distance shall be as follows:

(1) The travel distance between any room door required as an exit access and an exit shall not exceed 100 ft (30m).

(2)(1) The travel distance between any point in a room and an exit shall not exceed 150 ft (46 m).(32) The maximum travel distance in 20.2.6.2(1) or (2) shall be permitted to be increased by 50 ft (15 m) in buildings

protected throughout by an approved, electrically supervised automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section55.3.




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Commercial cCooking facilities shall be protected in accordance with Section 55.10, unless otherwisepermitted by 20.3.2.3.2.

Where domestic cooking equipment is used for food warming or limited cooking, protection or separationof food preparation facilities shall not be required.

Alcohol-based hand-rub dispensers shall be protected inaccordance with Section 8.15 and Chapter 34, unless all of the following conditions are met:

(1) Where dispensers are installed in a corridor, the corridor shall have a minimum width of 6 ft (1830 mm).(2) The maximum individual dispenser fluid capacity shall be as follows:(a) 0.32 gal (1.2 L) for dispensers in rooms, corridors, and areas open to corridors(b) 0.53 gal (2.0 L) for dispensers in suites of rooms

(3) Where aerosol containers are used, the maximum capacity of the aerosol dispenser shall be 18 oz. (0.51 kg)and shall be limited to Level 1 aerosols as defined in NFPA 30B,

.(4) Dispensers shall be separated from one another by horizontal spacing of not less than 48 in. (1220 mm).(5) Not more than an aggregate 10 gal (37.8 L) of alcohol-based hand-rub solution or 1135 oz (32.2 kg) of Level 1

aerosols, or a combination of liquids and Level 1 aerosols not to exceed, in total, the equivalent of 10 gal (37.8 L) or1135 oz (32.2 kg), shall be in use outside of a storage cabinet in a single smoke compartment, except as otherwiseprovided in 20.3.2.4(6).

(6) One dispenser per room complying with 20.3.2.4 (2) or (3), and located in the room, shall not be required to beincluded in the aggregated quantity specified in 20.3.2.4(5).

(67) Storage of quantities greater than 5 gal (18.9 L) in a single smoke compartment shall meet the requirements ofNFPA 30, .

(78) Dispensers shall not be installed in the following locations:(a) Above an ignition source within a 1 in. (25 mm) horizontal distance from each side of the ignition source(b) To the side of an ignition source within a 1 in. (25 mm) horizontal distance from the ignition source(c) Beneath an ignition source within a 1 in. (25 mm) vertical distance from the ignition source

(89) Dispensers installed directly over carpeted floors shall be permitted only in sprinklered smoke compartments.(910) The alcohol-based hand-rub solution shall not exceed 95 percent alcohol content by volume.(1011) Operation of the dispenser shall comply with the following criteria:(a) The dispenser shall not release its contents except when the dispenser is activated, either manually or

automatically, by touch-free activation.(b) Any activation of the dispenser shall occur only when an object is placed within 4 in. (100 mm) of the sensing

device.(c) An object placed within the activation zone and left in place shall not cause more than one activation.(d) The dispenser shall not dispense more solution than the amount required for hand hygiene consistent with

label instructions.(e) The dispenser shall be designed, constructed, and operated in a manner that ensures accidental or malicious

activation of the dispensing device is minimized.(f) The dispenser shall be tested in accordance with the manufacturer’s care and use instructions each time a new

refill is installed.

Interior finish shall be in accordance with Chapter 10.Interior wall and ceiling finish materials in accordance with Chapter 10 shall

be Class A or Class B in exits and in enclosed corridors furnishing access to exits; and Class A, Class B, or Class C inoffice areas.

Interior floor finish shall comply with Section 10.6.Interior floor finish in exit enclosures and corridors shall be Class I or Class II.Interior floor finish shall comply with 10.6.1 or 10.6.2, as applicable.


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 5000



_______________________________________________________________________________________________5000- Log #22 BLD-HEA


Revise text to read as follows:Operation of any activating device in the required fire alarm

system shall be arranged to accomplish automatically any control functions required to be performed by that device.




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_______________________________________________________________________________________________Thomas P. Hammerberg, Automatic Fire Alarm Association, Inc.

Add text to read as follows:. Ambulatory health care facilities shall be shall be provided with smoke detection in accordance with

Section 55.2 within the ambulatory care facility and in public use areas outside of tenant spaces including publiccorridors and elevator lobbies

In buildings protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance with 55.3, smokedetection in accordance with Section 55.2 shall only be provided in all corridors within the ambulatory care facilities.

Renumber subsequent paragraphs.This proposal supports both the use of fire sprinklers and early warning smoke detection in Ambulatory

health care facilities Occupancies were people are provided medical procedures. The corridor is the primary means ofegress and building occupants and fire service members need knowledge of a smoke condition in the corridors

Report by Dr. Milke ofDepartment of Fire Protection Engineering University of Maryland. The report states “The review of data obtained inseveral experimental programs unanimously indicates that smoke detectors respond prior to sprinklers. In addition,tenability analyses conducted using data from several of the experimental programs concluded that sufficient egresstime is provided by smoke detectors, considering conditions existing at the time of their response”. This document canbe downloaded at http://www.afaa.org/pdf/Performance of Smoke Detectors and Sprinklers in Residential andHealthcare Facilities.pdfThis proposal will provide both fire sprinklers and smoke detection in corridors which are one of the key elements of lifesafety in our buildings of this occupancy. There are reports of loss of life when corridors are untenable due to smokeand fire in corridors, this will allow for early detection, notification and suppression to save the lives of occupants and fireservice responders.


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Ambulatory health care facilities shall be separated from other tenants and occupancies and shall meet all ofthe following requirements:

(1) Walls shall have not less than a 1-hour fire resistance rating and shall extend from the floor slab below to thefloor or roof slab above.

(2) Doors shall be constructed of not less than 1¾ in. (44 mm) thick, solid-bonded wood core or the equivalent andshall be equipped with positive latches.

(3) Doors shall be self-closing and shall be kept in the closed position, except when in use.(4) Any windows in the barriers shall be of fixed fire window assemblies in accordance with Section 8.7.

Ambulatory health care facilities shall be separated from other tenants and occupancies by walls having notless than a 1-hour fire resistance rating. Such walls shall extend from the floor slab below to the floor or roof slab above.Doors shall have a 20-minute fire protection rating. Any windows in these barriers shall be of fixed fire windowassemblies in accordance with 8.7.6.

Every story of an ambulatory health care facility shall be divided into not less than two smoke compartments,unless otherwise permitted by one of the following:

(1) This requirement shall not apply to facilities of less than 5000 ft2 (465 m2) that are protected by an approvedautomatic smoke detection system.

(2) This requirement shall not apply to facilities of less than 10,000 ft2 (929 m2) that are protected throughout by anapproved, electrically supervised automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section 55.3.

(3) An area in an adjoining occupancy shall be permitted to serve as a smoke compartment for an ambulatoryhealth care facility if all of the following criteria are met:

(a) The separating wall and both compartments meet the requirements of 20.3.7.(b) The ambulatory health care facility is less than 22,500 ft2 (2100 m2).(c) Access from the ambulatory health care facility to the other occupancy is unrestricted.

Every story of the ambulatory health care facility shall be divided into not less than two smokecompartments, unless one of the following conditions exists:

(1) Facilities are less than 5000 ft2 (465 m2) and are protected by an approved automatic smoke detectionsystem.

(2) Facilities are less than 10,000 ft2 (929 m2) and are protected throughout by an approved, electricallysupervised automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section 55.3.

(3) An area in an adjoining occupancy is permitted to serve as a smoke compartment for the ambulatory healthcare facility, and all of the following criteria also are met:

(a) The separating wall and both compartments meet the requirements of 20.3.7.(b) The ambulatory health care facility is less than 22,500 ft2 (2100 m2).(c) Access from the ambulatory health care facility to the other occupancy is unrestricted.

Smoke compartments, other than the area of an atrium separated in accordance with 8.12.3, shall notexceed an area of 22,500 ft2 (2100 m2), and the travel distance from any point to reach a door in a smoke barrier shallnot exceed 200 ft (61 m).

Any required smoke barrier shall be constructed in accordance with Section 8.11.Any required smoke barrier shall have a fire resistance rating of not less than 1 hour, unless otherwise

permitted by 20.3.7.4.2.Smoke dampers shall not be required in duct penetrations of smoke barriers in fully ducted heating,

ventilating, and air-conditioning systems for buildings protected throughout by an approved, electrically supervisedautomatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 55.3.

Windows in the smoke barrier shall be of fixed fire window assemblies in accordance with 8.7.6.Not less than 15 net ft2 (1.4 net m2) per ambulatory health care facility occupant shall be provided within the

aggregate area of corridors, patient rooms, treatment rooms, lounges, and other common areas on each side of thesmoke compartment for the total number of occupants in adjoining compartments.

Doors in smoke barriers shall be not less than 1¾ in. (44 mm) thick, solid-bonded wood core or theequivalent and shall be self-closing or automatic-closing in accordance with 20.2.2.2.5.


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 5000Latching hardware shall not be required on smoke barrier cross-corridor doors.A vision panel consisting of fire-rated glazing in approved frames shall be provided in each cross-corridor

swinging door and at each cross-corridor horizontal-sliding door in a smoke barrier.Vision panels in doors in smoke barriers, if provided, shall be of fire-rated glazing in approved frames.Rabbets, bevels, or astragals shall be required at the meeting edges, and stops shall be required at the

head and sides of door frames in smoke barriers.Center mullions shall be prohibited in smoke barrier door openings.

Doors in smoke barriers shall comply with all of the following:

(1) The doors shall be not less than 1¾ in. (44 mm) thick, solid-bonded wood core or the equivalent.(2) The doors shall be self-closing or automatic-closing in accordance with 20.2.2.2.5.(3) The doors shall be provided with positive latching hardware on other than cross-corridor doors.(4) Latching hardware shall not be required on cross-corridor doors.(5) Stops shall be required at the head and sides of door frames.(6) Rabbets, bevels, or astragals shall be required at the meeting edges of pairs of doors.(7) The doors shall be provided with a vision panel if the door is a cross-corridor door.(8) Vision panels in doors in smoke barriers, if provided, shall be of fire-rated glazing or wired glass in approved

frames.This public input was prepared by a task group of the NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care

Occupancies, consisting of Michael Crowley – Chair, Chad Beebe, Thomas Jaeger, Henry Kowalenko, James Lathrop,and Daniel O’Connor. In previous revision cycles, changes were made to the ambulatory health care occupancieschapters of NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, but similar changes were not made to the ambulatory health care occupancieschapter of NFPA 5000, Building Construction and Safety Code. Some of the missed changes were an oversight by thecommittee. Others could not be made to NFPA 5000 at, what was then, the ROC stage of the revision process becausethe subject had not been raised by a proposal in the ROP stage.



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Add new text to read as follows:Split astragals (i.e., astragals installed on both door leaves) are also considered astragals.




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Heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning shall comply with the provisions of Chapters 50 and 51 and shall bein accordance with the manufacturer's specifications, unless otherwise modified by 20.5.2.2.

If fuel-fired, heating devices shall comply with all of the following:(1) They shall be chimney connected or vent connected.(2) They shall take air for combustion directly from the outside.(3) They shall be designed and installed to provide for complete separation of the combustion system from the

atmosphere of the occupied area.Any heating device, other than a central heating plant, shall be designed and installed so that combustible

material will not be ignited by the device or its appurtenances and shall comply with 20.5.2.2.1 and 20.5.2.2.2.If fuel-fired, heating devices shall be chimney connected or vent connected, shall take air for combustion

directly from the outside, and shall be designed and installed to provide for complete separation of the combustionsystem from the atmosphere of the occupied area.

Any heating device shall have safety features to immediately stop the flow of fuel and shut down theequipment in case of either excessive temperature or ignition failure.

Approved, suspended unit heaters shall be permitted in locations other than means of egress and patienttreatment areas, provided that both of the following criteria are met:

(1) Such heaters are located high enough to be out of the reach of persons using the area.(2) Such heaters are equipped with the safety features required by 20.5.2.2.1.

Approved, suspended unit heaters shall be permitted in locations other than means of egress and patienttreatment areas, provided that such heaters are located high enough to be out of the reach of persons using the areaand are equipped with the safety features required by 20.5.2.2.1 and 20.5.2.2.2.




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Revise text to read as follows:In determining equivalency to life safety requirements for conversions, modernizations, renovations, or

unusual design concepts of hospitals or nursing homes, the authority having jurisdiction is permitted to acceptevaluations based on NFPA 101A, , utilizing the parameters for newhealth care occupancy construction. The NFPA 101A fire safety evaluation system (FSES) does not measureequivalency to non-life safety features addressed by this .

There are many reasons why doors in the means of egress in health care occupancies might need tobe locked for the protection of the patients or the public. Examples of conditions that might justify door locking includedementia, mental health, infant care, pediatric care, or patients under court detention order requiring medical treatmentin a health care facility. See 19.2.2.2.5 for details on door locking.

The recognizes that certain functions necessary for the life safety of building occupants, suchas the closing of corridor doors, the operation of manual fire alarm devices, and the removal of patients from the room offire origin, require the intervention of facility staff. It is not the intent of 19.1.1.1.9 11 to specify the levels or locations ofstaff necessary to meet this requirement.





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Revise text to read as follows:Doctors' offices and treatment and diagnostic facilities intended solely for outpatient care that are

physically separated from facilities for the treatment or care of inpatients, but that are otherwise associated with themanagement of an institution, might be classified as business occupancies rather than health care occupancies.Facilities that do not provide housing for patients on a 24-hour basis are required to be classified as other than healthcare occupancies per 19.1.1.1.7, except where services are provided routinely to four or more inpatients who areincapable of self-preservation.

It is the intent that these requirements apply to mobile, transportable, and relocatable structures wheresuch structures are used to provide shared medical services on an extended or a temporary basis. Where properlyseparated from the health care occupancy and intended to provide services simultaneously for three or fewer healthcare patients who are litterborne, the level of protection for such structures should be based on the appropriateoccupancy classification of other chapters of this . Mobile, transportable, or relocatable structures that are notseparated from a contiguous health care occupancy, or that are intended to provide services simultaneously for four ormore health care patients who are litterborne, should be classified and designed as health care occupancies.





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Delete text as follows:Psychiatric, mental retardation, dementia, and forensics units are all examples of areas that might be

subject to the door-locking provisions of 19.2.2.2.5.1.This public input was prepared by a task group of the NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care




_______________________________________________________________________________________________5000- Log #49 BLD-HEA


Revise text to read as follows:Pediatric units, maternity units, Alzheimer’s units, dementia units and emergency departments are

examples of areas where patients might have special needs that justify door locking.This public input was prepared by a task group of the NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care





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Revise text to read as follows:It is not the intent that the required corridor width be maintained clear and unobstructed at all times.

Projections into the required width are permitted by 11.3.2.2. It is not the intent that 19.2.3.3 2 supersede 11.3.2.2. Also,it is recognized that wheeled items in use (such as food service carts, housekeeping carts, gurneys, beds, and similaritems) and wheeled crash carts not in use (because they need to be immediately accessible during a clinicalemergency) are encountered in health care occupancy corridors. The health care occupancy's fire plan and trainingprogram should address the relocation of these items during a fire. Note that the phrase is not the same asthe phrase . Storage is not permitted to be open to the corridor, unless it meets 19.3.6.1(1), 19.3.6.1(2),19.3.6.1(3), 19.3.6.1(4), or 19.3.6.1(5) and is not a hazardous area.

Occupant characteristics are an important factor to be evaluated in setting egress criteria. Egresscomponents in nonpatient use areas, such as administrative office spaces, should be evaluated based on actual use. Aclear corridor width of not less than 44 in. (1120 mm) is specified, assuming occupants in nonpatient areas will bemobile and capable of evacuation without assistance.

The intent of 19.2.3.2(2) is to permit limited noncontinuous projections along the corridor wall. Theseinclude hand-rub dispensing units complying with 19.3.2.6, nurse charting units, wall-mounted computers, telephones,artwork, bulletin boards, display case frames, cabinet frames, fire alarm boxes, and similar items. It is not the intent topermit the narrowing of the corridor by the walls themselves. The provision of 11.3.2.2 permits projections up to 4 ½ in.(114 mm) to be present at and below the 38 in. (965 mm) height specified in 19.2.3.2(2), and it is not the intent of19.2.3.2(2) to prohibit such projections. Permitting projections above the 38 in. (965 mm) handrail height complies withthe intent of the requirement, as such projections will not interfere with the movement of gurneys, beds, andwheelchairs. Projections below handrail height for limited items, such as fire extinguisher cabinets and recessed watercoolers, also will not interfere with equipment movement.

Exit access should be arranged to avoid any obstructions to the convenient removal ofnonambulatory persons carried on stretchers or on mattresses serving as stretchers.

Wheeled equipment and carts in use include food service carts, housekeeping carts, medicationcarts, isolation carts, and similar items. Isolation carts should be permitted in the corridor only where patients requireisolation precautions.Unattended wheeled crash carts and other similar wheeled emergency equipment are permitted to be located in thecorridor when “not in use,” because they need to be immediately accessible during a clinical emergency. Note that “notin use” is not the same as “in storage.” Storage is not permitted to be open to the corridor, unless it meets one of theprovisions permitted in 19.3.6.1 and is not a hazardous area.Wheeled portable patient lift or transport equipment needs to be readily available to clinical staff for moving, transferring,toileting, or relocating patients. These devices are used daily for safe handling of patients and to provide for workersafety. This equipment might not be defined as “in use” but needs to be convenient for the use of caregivers at all times.

The means for affixing the furniture can be achieved with removable brackets to allow cleaning andmaintenance. Affixing the furniture to the floor or wall prevents the furniture from moving, so as to maintain a minimum 6ft (1830 mm) corridor clear width. Affixing the furniture to the floor or wall also provides a sturdiness that allowsoccupants to safely transfer in and out.

Examples of building service and fire protection equipment include fire extinguishers, manual firealarm boxes, shutoff valves, and similar equipment.

The 8 ft (2440 mm) corridor width does not need to be maintained at the door or the open door leaf. Areduction for the frame and leaf is acceptable as long as the minimum clear width is provided at the door opening in thedirection of egress travel. In situations where egress occurs only in one direction, it is permissible to have a single doorleaf.

See A.19.2.3.32(2).The intent of 19.2.3.3(2) is to permit limited noncontinuous projections along the corridor wall. These

include hand-rub dispensing units complying with 19.3.2.6, nurse charting units, wall-mounted computers, telephones,artwork, bulletin boards, display case frames, cabinet frames, fire alarm boxes, and similar items. It is not the intent topermit the narrowing of the corridor by the walls themselves. The provision of 11.3.2.2 permits projections up to 4 ½ in.(114 mm) to be present at and below the 38 in. (965 mm) height specified in 19.2.3.3(2), and it is not the intent of19.2.3.3(2) to prohibit such projections. Permitting projections above the 38 in. (965 mm) handrail height complies with


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Report on Proposals – June 2014 NFPA 5000the intent of the requirement, as such projections will not interfere with the movement of gurneys, beds, andwheelchairs. Projections below handrail height for limited items, such as fire extinguisher cabinets and recessed watercoolers, also will not interfere with equipment movement.

See A.19.2.3.32(5).Wheeled equipment and carts in use include food service carts, housekeeping carts, medication

carts, isolation carts, and similar items. Isolation carts should be permitted in the corridor only where patients requireisolation precautions.Unattended wheeled crash carts and other similar wheeled emergency equipment are permitted to be located in thecorridor when “not in use,” because they need to be immediately accessible during a clinical emergency. Note that “notin use,” is not the same as “in storage.” Storage is not permitted to be open to the corridor, unless it meets one of theprovisions permitted in 19.3.6.1 and is not a hazardous area.Wheeled portable patient lift or transport equipment needs to be readily available to clinical staff for moving, transferring,toileting, or relocating patients. These devices are used daily for safe handling of patients and to provide for workersafety. This equipment might not be defined as “in use” but needs to be convenient for the use of caregivers at all times.

The 6 ft (1830 mm) corridor width does not need to be maintained at the door or the open door leaf. Areduction for the frame and leaf is acceptable as long as the minimum clear width is provided at the door opening in thedirection of egress travel. In situations where egress occurs only in one direction, it is permissible to have a single doorleaf.




_______________________________________________________________________________________________5000- Log #211 BLD-HEA


Add new text to read:This paragraph is intended to ensure that only areas that are truly used for patient care or sleeping are




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Revise text to read as follows:Examples of suites that might be hazardous areas are medical records and pharmaceutical suites.




_______________________________________________________________________________________________5000- Log #52 BLD-HEA


Revise text to read as follows:The interior partitions or walls might extend full height to the ceiling, provided that they do not

obscure visual supervision of the suite. Where they do obscure visual supervision, see 19.2.5.7.2.1(D)(2).This public input was prepared by a task group of the NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care





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Revise text to read as follows:The alternative of 19.2.5.7.2.1(CD)(1)(b) is not to be applied, as 19.2.5.7.2.3(B)(2) requires total

coverage automatic smoke detection for the suite that exceeds 5000 7500 ft2 (460 700 m2) but not 7500 10,000 ft2 (700930 m2).

The term means a room serving as a part of the required means of egress fromanother room.




_______________________________________________________________________________________________5000- Log #54 BLD-HEA


Revise text to read as follows:Provisions for the enclosure of rooms used for charging linen chutes and waste chutes, or for rooms into

which these chutes empty, are provided in Chapter 8Section 8.17.This public input was prepared by a task group of the NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care





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Revise text to read as follows:The requirement of 19.3.2.5.2 is intended to permit small appliances used for reheating, such as

microwave ovens, hot plates, toasters, and nourishment centers, to be exempt from the requirements for commercialcooking equipment and hazardous area protection.

The intent of 19.3.2.5.3 is to limit the number of persons for whom meals are routinely prepared to notmore than 30. Staff and feeding assistants are not included in this number.

The minimum airflow of 500 cfm (14,000 L/m) is intended to require the use of residential hoodequipment at the higher end of equipment capacities. It is also intended to draw a sufficient amount of the cookingvapors into the grease baffle and filter system to reduce migration beyond the hood.

The intent of this provision is to limit cooking fuel to gas or electricity. The prohibition of solid fuels forcooking is not intended to prohibit charcoal grilling on grills located outside the facility.

Deep-fat frying is defined as a cooking method that involves fully immersing food in hot oil.The intent of this requirement is that the fuel source for the cooktop or range is to be turned on only

when staff is present or aware that the kitchen is being used. The timer function is meant to provide an additionalsafeguard if the staff forgets to deactivate the cooktop or range. If a cooking activity lasts longer than 120 minutes, thetimer would be required to be manually reset.

The intent of requiring smoke alarms instead of smoke detectors is to prevent false alarms frominitiating the building fire alarm system and notifying the fire department. Smoke alarms should be maintained aminimum of 20 ft (6.1 m) away from the cooktop or range as studies have shown this distance to be the threshold forsignificantly reducing false alarms caused by cooking. The intent of the interconnected smoke alarms, with silencefeature, is that while the devices would alert staff members to a potential problem, if it is a false alarm, the staffmembers can use the silence feature instead of disabling the alarm. The referenced study indicates that nuisancealarms are reduced with photoelectric smoke alarms. Providing two, interconnected alarms provides a safety factorsince they are not electrically supervised by the the fire alarm system.

The provisions of 19.3.2.5.4 differ from those of 19.3.2.5.3, as they apply to cooking equipment that isseparated from the corridor.

The provision of 19.3.2.5.5 clarifies that protected commercial cooking equipment does not require anenclosure (separation) as a hazardous area in accordance with Section 8.15, as is required by 19.3.2.1.





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Revise text to read as follows:It is the intent of 19.3.4.3.1.2 1(2) to permit a visible fire alarm signal instead of an audible signal

to reduce interference between the fire alarm and medical equipment monitoring alarms.This public input was prepared by a task group of the NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care





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Revise text to read as follows:The requirements for use of quick-response sprinklers intend that quick-response sprinklers be the

predominant type of sprinkler installed in the smoke compartment. It is recognized, however, that quick-responsesprinklers might not be approved for installation in all areas, such as those where NFPA 13,

, requires sprinklers of the intermediate- or high-temperature classification. It is not the intent of therequirements of 19.3.5.3 4 to prohibit the use of standard sprinklers in limited areas of a smoke compartment whereintermediate- or high-temperature sprinklers are required.

Residential sprinklers are considered acceptable in patient sleeping rooms of all health care facilities, even though notspecifically listed for this purpose in all cases.Where the installation of quick-response sprinklers is impracticable in patient sleeping room areas, appropriateequivalent protection features acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction should be provided. It is recognized that theuse of quick-response sprinklers might be limited in facilities housing certain types of patients or by the installationlimitations of quick-response sprinklers.

For the proper operation of sprinkler systems, cubicle curtains and sprinkler locations need to becoordinated. Improperly designed systems might obstruct the sprinkler spray from reaching the fire or might shield theheat from the sprinkler. Many options are available to the designer including, but not limited to, hanging the cubiclecurtains 18 in. (455 mm) below the sprinkler deflector; using a ½ in. (13 mm) diagonal mesh or a 70 percent open weavetop panel that extends 18 in. (455 mm) below the sprinkler deflector; or designing the system to have a horizontal andminimum vertical distance that meets the requirements of NFPA 13, .The test data that forms the basis of the requirements of NFPA 13 is from fire tests with sprinkler discharge thatpenetrated a single privacy curtain.

The presence of stored combustible materials in a room or space open to the corridor does notnecessarily result in the room or space being classified as a hazardous area. In some circumstances, the amount andtype of combustibles might result in the room or space being classified as a hazardous area by the authority havingjurisdiction.





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Add new text to read as follows:While a corridor wall is required to form a barrier to limit the transfer of smoke, such a barrier is not

required to be either a smoke barrier or a smoke partition — two terms for which specific definitions andrequirements apply.





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Revise text to read as follows:While it is recognized that closed doors serve to maintain tenable conditions in a corridor and adjacent

patient rooms, such doors, which under normal or fire conditions are self-closing, might create a special hazard for thepersonal safety of a room occupant. Closed doors might present a problem of delay in discovery, confining fire productsbeyond tenable conditions.

Because it is critical for responding staff members to be able to immediately identify the specific room involved, it isrecommended that approved automatic smoke detection that is interconnected with the building fire alarm be consideredfor rooms having doors equipped with closing devices. Such detection is permitted to be located at any approved pointwithin the room. When activated, the detector is required to provide a warning that indicates the specific room ofinvolvement by activation of a fire alarm annunciator, nurse call system, or any other device acceptable to the authorityhaving jurisdiction.

Where a nurse server penetrates a corridor wall, the access opening on the corridor side of the nurse server must beprotected as is done for a corridor door.





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Revise text to read as follows:Doors should not be blocked open by furniture, door stops, chocks, tie-backs, drop-down or

plunger-type devices, or other devices that necessitate manual unlatching or releasing action to close. Examples ofhold-open devices that release when the door is pushed or pulled are friction catches or magnetic catches.

It is not the intent of 19.3.6.3.5 9 to prohibit the application of push-plates, hardware, or otherattachments on corridor doors in health care occupancies.

It is not the intent of 19.3.6.5(1) to permit mail slots or pass-through openings in doors or walls ofrooms designated as a hazardous area.

See A.19.2.2.Where the smoke control system design requires dampers in order that the system function

effectively, it is not the intent of 19.3.7.2.23(2) to permit the damper to be omitted.Paragraph 19.3.7.2.23(2) is not intended to prevent the use of plenum returns where ducting is used to return air from aceiling plenum through smoke barrier walls. Short stubs or jumper ducts are not acceptable. Ducting is required toconnect at both sides of the opening and to extend into adjacent spaces away from the wall. The intent is to prohibitopen-air transfers at or near the smoke barrier walls.

Smoke barrier doors are intended to provide access to adjacent zones. The pair of cross-corridor doorsis required to be opposite swinging. Access to both zones is required.It is not the intent of 19.3.7.4 5 to prohibit the application of push plates, hardware, or other attachments on smoke

barrier doors in health care occupancies.Smoke barriers might include walls having door openings other than those for cross-corridor doors.

There is no restriction in the regarding which doors or how many doors form part of a smoke barrier. For example,doors from the corridor to individual rooms are permitted to form part of a smoke barrier. Split astragals (i.e., astragalsinstalled on both door leaves) are also considered astragals.

It is not the intent to require the frame to be a listed assembly.This public input was prepared by a task group of the NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care





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Add new text to read as follows:The glass front of a direct-vent fireplace can become extremely hot. Barriers such as screens or

mesh installed over the direct-vent glass help reduce the risk of burn from touching the glass.The intent of locating controls in a restricted location is to ensure staff is aware of use of the

fireplace and to prevent unauthorized use. Examples of locked controls are a keyed switch or locating the switch in astaff-controlled location such as a staff station.




_______________________________________________________________________________________________5000- Log #60a BLD-HEA


Revise text to read as follows:The maximum 1-hour fire resistance–rated enclosure permitted by 19.5.4.2 is a deviation from the

provisions of NFPA 82, . NFPA 82requires the charging room and the discharge room to have the same fire rating as required for the shaft enclosing thechute. In fully-sprinklered health care occupancies, the 1-hour-rated enclosure required by 19.5.4.2 provides the neededprotection.





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Add new text to read as follows:This objective is accomplished in the context of the physical facilities, the type of activities undertaken, the

provisions for the capabilities of staff, and the needs of all occupants through requirements directed at the following:(1) Prevention of ignition(2) Detection of fire(3) Control of fire development(4) Confinement of the effects of fire(5) Extinguishment of fire(6) Provision of refuge or evacuation facilities, or both(7) Staff reaction




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Revise text to read as follows:Doctors' offices and treatment and diagnostic facilities intended solely for outpatient care that are

physically separated from facilities for the treatment or care of inpatients, but that are otherwise associated with themanagement of an institution, might be classified as business occupancies rather than health care occupancies.




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NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care … Town Plaza, Suite 208 Durango, CO 81301 I 8/5/2009...

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Transcript of NFPA Technical Committee on Health Care … Town Plaza, Suite 208 Durango, CO 81301 I 8/5/2009...