By Brad Keyes / Special to Healthcare Facilities Today

Q: Do doctor’s sleep rooms have to be separated from other areas on a patient floor by a 2 or 1 hour fire-rated barrier?

A: No… There is no requirement to separate the different occupancies with a fire rated barrier, unless the hospital chooses to do so. A doctor’s sleep room would have to comply with the LSC provisions for a hotel/dormitory occupancy, but since it is incidental to the predominant occupancy of the facility (that being healthcare occupancy) section 6.1.14.3 of the 2012 LSC allows for a mixed occupancy, and separation between the occupancies is not required provided the most restrictive requirements of the occupancies involved is in compliance. This means the requirements for a single-station smoke alarm and a closer on the door to the corridor to the physician sleeping room are required because the most restrictive requirement of the occupancies involved must be met, and these items are required in a hotel/dormitory occupancy.   

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.