NFPA 99: Health Care Facilities Code covers areas that are not fire safety-related, but it's important to understand the standard's fire safety-related requirements, according to an article on the Consulting-Specifying Engineer website.
The document was updated using a risk-based approach versus an occupancy-based approach. This change allows healthcare facilities to use NFPA 99 to determine the risk to their patients from the procedures offered in their buildings, and it provides requirements to protect against those risks, the article said.
The requirements are based on a risk assessment of what would happen to patients or caregivers if the system was lost or compromised.
The key question is whether injuries or deaths to patients or staff will occur should the system or equipment fail.
Contaminants Under Foot: A Closer Look at Patient Room Floors
Power Outages Largely Driven by Extreme Weather Events
Nemours Children's Health Opens New Moseley Foundation Institute Hospital
Code Compliance Isn't Enough for Healthcare Resilience
Ribbon Cutting Marks First Phase Completion for New Montefiore Einstein Facility