Ensure fire and life safety in health care facilities, and achieve compliance success with the roadmap to the 2005 NFPA 99!

Need more clarification on the added NFPA guidelines on pipe joining methods, fabric restrictions inside hyperbaric chambers, or any of the other changes in the 2005 NFPA 99? You'll find expert advice, examples, and more in the Health Care Facilities Handbook! Written by authorities who helped develop NFPA 99 and based on questions from the field, it's a ready source for answers to your application questions based on NFPA regulations.

Address critical issues involving patient and staff safety!

The Handbook contains the full Standard text, insightful commentary, FAQs, plus hundreds of illustrations and photos--everything you need to handle any situation on the job. Commentary appears in blue so it's easy to distinguish from Standard requirements. It's a valuable resource for installers of hospital equipment, safety engineers, facilities managers and directors, architects, engineers, design firms, AHJs, inspectors, and enforcers.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Contents
Preface v
PART ONE
Health Care Facilities, 2002 Edition, with Commentary 1

1 Administration 5
1.1 Scope 7
1.2 Purpose 11
1.3 Application 11
1.4 Equivalency 12
1.5 Units and Formulas 12
1.6 Code Adoption Requirements 13

2 Referenced Publications 15
2.1 General 15
2.2 NFPA Publications 15
2.3 Other Publications 16

3 Definitions 19
3.1 General 19
3.2 NFPA Official Definitions 19
3.3 General Definitions 20

4 Electrical Systems 61
4.1 Applicability 62
4.2 Nature of Hazards 63
4.3 Electrical System Requirements 64
4.4 Essential Electrical System
Requirements—Type 1 83
4.5 Essential Electrical System
Requirements—Type 2 112
4.6 Essential Electrical System
Requirements—Type 3 116

5 Gas and Vacuum Systems 119
5.1 Level 1 Piped Gas and Vacuum Systems 119
5.2 Level 2 Piped Gas and Vacuum Systems 233
5.3 Level 3 Piped Gas and Vacuum Systems 235

6 Environmental Systems 271
6.1 Applicability 271
6.2 Nature of Hazards 271
6.3 Source 271
6.4 Distribution 271
6.5 Performance Criteria and Testing 277
6.6 Administration 278

7 Materials 279
7.1 Applicability 279
7.2 Nature of Hazards 279
7.3 Source (Reserved) 280
7.4 Distribution (Reserved) 280
7.5 Performance Criteria and
Testing (Reserved) 280
7.6 Administration (Reserved) 280

8 Electrical Equipment 281
8.1 Applicability 282
8.2 Nature of Hazards 283
8.3 Electrical System 284
8.4 Performance Criteria and Testing 284
8.5 Administration 299

9 Gas Equipment 309
9.1 Applicability 310
9.2 Nature of Hazards 311
9.3 Cylinder and Container Source 311
9.4 Cylinder and Container
Storage Requirements 312
9.5 Performance Criteria and Testing 314
9.6 Administration 316

10 Manufacturer Requirements 321
10.1 Applicability 321
10.2 Patient-Care-Related
Electrical Appliances 321

11 Laboratories 347
11.1 Applicability 348
11.2 Nature of Hazards 350
11.3 Structure 353
11.4 Equipment 356
11.5 Fire Protection 357
11.6 Emergency Shower 360
11.7 Flammable and Combustible Liquids 361
11.8 Maintenance and Inspection 369
11.9 Transfer of Gases 372
11.10 Laboratory Gas Cylinder Storage
for Non-Piped Use 372
11.11 Piped Gas Systems 374

12 Health Care Emergency Management 377
12.1 Applicability 377
12.2 Responsibilities 378
12.3 General Requirements 381

13 Hospital Requirements 395
13.1 Applicability 396
13.2 Responsibilities 396
13.3 General Requirements 397
13.4 Specific Area Requirements 401

14 Other Health Care Facilities 413
14.1 Applicability 413
14.2 Responsibilities 413
14.3 General Requirements 414
14.4 Specific Area Requirements 417

15 Reserved 419

16 Reserved 421

17 Nursing Home Requirements 423
17.1 Applicability 423
17.2 Responsibilities 423
17.3 General Requirements 424

18 Limited Care Facility Requirements 427
18.1 Applicability 427
18.2 Responsibilities 427
18.3 General Requirements 427

19 Electrical and Gas Equipment for Home Care 431
19.1 Applicability 431
19.2 Responsibilities 431
19.3 Equipment 432

20 Hyperbaric Facilities 433
20.1 Applicability 433
20.2 Construction and Equipment 435
20.3 Administration and Maintenance 435

21 Freestanding Birthing Centers 467
21.1 Applicability 467
21.2 Responsibilities 467
21.3 General Requirements 467

Annexes

A Explanatory Material 469
B Nature of Hazards 471
C Additional Explanatary Notes to Chapters 1–20 489
D The Safe Use of High-Frequency Electricity in Health Care Facilities 533
E Flammable Anesthetizing Locations 567
F Informational References 599

PART TWO
Supplements

1 Overview of Fire Incidents in Health Care Facilities 607
2 Regulatory Issues Affecting the Safety of Clinical Hyperbaric Medicine Facilities 615
3 Disaster Recovery at Texas Medical Center from Tropical Storm Allison 621

Cross-Reference Table for NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities, 2002–1999 Editions 625

Index 631

About the Editor 649