By Brad Keyes / Special to Healthcare Facilities Today

Q: I have a surgery suite that had a hole punched into the wall by the door knob. Is there anything in LSC that states " if a hole is made in a surgery wall the drywall needs to be replaced from stud to stud", not just repair the hole?

A: No… The LSC does not concern itself with the way the walls are constructed. When it comes to walls, the LSC only concerns itself with identifying which walls must be smoke resistant, fire-rated, or smoke rated. The UL listings for the walls will determine how the wall is constructed.

Now, if the wall with the door knob hole is only required to be smoke resistant, then you can seal the hole with any type of patch that makes the wall resistant to the passage of smoke. But if the wall is fire-rated, or is required to be a 1-hour rated smoke barrier, then you must excise the hole from stud to stud, insert a new piece of gypsum board, and screw, tape and apply joint compound in accordance with the UL listing for that wall.

I’m sure your Infection Control practitioner would have a lot to say about a hole in a wall in surgery.

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.