Focus: Fire-Life Safety / Column

Life Safety Q&A: Operating room exit doors

Brad Keyes continues the discussion on operating room exit doors

By Brad Keyes / Special to Healthcare Facilities Today


Q: Are operating rooms required to have two (2) exit doors? I have not seen this room but am under the assumption it is between 400 and 500 square feet.

A: According to section 18.2.5.5.2 of the 2012 Life Safety Code, non-sleeping rooms of more than 2500 square feet must have not less than two exit access doors remotely located from each other. Since the operating room you described is 400 to 500 square feet, I would say you are under the threshold for having to meet the requirement to have two doors to the corridor. 

Now, if the surgery area is a suite, there would not be a requirement for two exit access doors until you reached a 2,500-square-feet total for the entire suite, which would include the operating room.

Brad Keyes, CHSP, is the owner of KEYES Life Safety Compliance, and his expertise is in the management of the Life Safety Program, including the Environment of Care and Emergency Management programs.

 

 



July 19, 2017


Topic Area: Regulations, Codes & Standards


Recent Posts

All Eyes on Gen Z as They Enter the Workforce

As the labor gap widens in the facilities industry, not many managers trust Gen Z to fill that hole.


Cleveland Clinic Starts Fundraising Effort for New Hospital in West Palm Beach

Plans for the new hospital include approximately 150 inpatient beds, an emergency department, a medical office building and an ambulatory surgery center.


Cultivating a Workforce in the Face of Skilled Trade Shortages

Facilities managers must make concerted efforts to attract skilled trade workers to their facilities and retain them long term.


Prime Healthcare Acquires 8 Ascension Hospitals in Illinois

They also acquired a number of other facilities in this acquisition.


Charging Ahead: Incentives Driving EV Charging in Healthcare Facilities

Manufacturers discuss how incentives impact the decision-making process.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.