§ 485.623 - Condition of participation: Physical plant and environment.

§ 485.623 Condition of participation: Physical plant and environment.

(a) Standard: Construction. The CAH is constructed, arranged, and maintained to ensure access to and safety of patients, and provides adequate space for the provision of services.

(b) Standard: Maintenance. The CAH has housekeeping and preventive maintenance programs to ensure that -

(1) All essential mechanical, electrical, and patient-care equipment is maintained in safe operating condition;

(2) There is proper routine storage and prompt disposal of trash;

(3) Drugs and biologicals are appropriately stored;

(4) The premises are clean and orderly; and

(5) There is proper ventilation, lighting, and temperature control in all pharmaceutical, patient care, and food preparation areas.

(c) Standard: Life safety from fire.

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section -

(i) The CAH must meet the applicable provisions and must proceed in accordance with the Life Safety Code (NFPA 101 and Tentative Interim Amendments TIA 12-1, TIA 12-2, TIA 12-3, and TIA 12-4.)

(ii) Notwithstanding paragraph (d)(1)(i) of this section, corridor doors and doors to rooms containing flammable or combustible materials must be provided with positive latching hardware. Roller latches are prohibited on such doors.

(2) In consideration of a recommendation by the State survey agency or Accrediting Organization or at the discretion of the Secretary, may waive, for periods deemed appropriate, specific provisions of the Life Safety Code, which would result in unreasonable hardship upon a CAH, but only if the waiver will not adversely affect the health and safety of the patients.

(3) After consideration of State survey agency findings, CMS may waive specific provisions of the Life Safety Code that, if rigidly applied, would result in unreasonable hardship on the CAH, but only if the waiver does not adversely affect the health and safety of patients.

(4) The CAH maintains written evidence of regular inspection and approval by State or local fire control agencies.

(5) A CAH may install alcohol-based hand rub dispensers in its facility if the dispensers are installed in a manner that adequately protects against inappropriate access.

(6) When a sprinkler system is shut down for more than 10 hours, the CAH must:

(i) Evacuate the building or portion of the building affected by the system outage until the system is back in service, or

(ii) Establish a fire watch until the system is back in service.

(7) Buildings must have an outside window or outside door in every sleeping room, and for any building constructed after July 5, 2016 the sill height must not exceed 36 inches above the floor. Windows in atrium walls are considered outside windows for the purposes of this requirement.

(i) The sill height requirement does not apply to newborn nurseries and rooms intended for occupancy for less than 24 hours.

(ii) Special nursing care areas of new occupancies shall not exceed 60 inches.

(d) Standard: Building safety. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the CAH must meet the applicable provisions and must proceed in accordance with the Health Care Facilities Code (NFPA 99 and Tentative Interim Amendments TIA 12-2, TIA 12-3, TIA 12-4, TIA 12-5 and TIA 12-6).

(1) Chapters 7, 8, 12, and 13 of the adopted Health Care Facilities Code do not apply to a CAH.

(2) If application of the Health Care Facilities Code required under paragraph (e) of this section would result in unreasonable hardship for the CAH, CMS may waive specific provisions of the Health Care Facilities Code, but only if the waiver does not adversely affect the health and safety of patients.

(e) The standards incorporated by reference in this section are approved for incorporation by reference by the Director of the Office of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. You may inspect a copy at the CMS Information Resource Center, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD or at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. If any changes in this edition of the Code are incorporated by reference, CMS will publish a document in the Federal Register to announce the changes.

(1) National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169, www.nfpa.org, 1.617.770.3000.

(i) NFPA 99, Standards for Health Care Facilities Code of the National Fire Protection Association 99, 2012 edition, issued August 11, 2011.

(ii) TIA 12-2 to NFPA 99, issued August 11, 2011.

(iii) TIA 12-3 to NFPA 99, issued August 9, 2012.

(iv) TIA 12-4 to NFPA 99, issued March 7, 2013.

(v) TIA 12-5 to NFPA 99, issued August 1, 2013.

(vi) TIA 12-6 to NFPA 99, issued March 3, 2014.

(vii) NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, 2012 edition, issued August 11, 2011;

(viii) TIA 12-1 to NFPA 101, issued August 11, 2011.

(ix) TIA 12-2 to NFPA 101, issued October 30, 2012.

(x) TIA 12-3 to NFPA 101, issued October 22, 2013.

(xi) TIA 12-4 to NFPA 101, issued October 22, 2013.

(2) [Reserved]

[58 FR 30671, May 26, 1993, as amended at 62 FR 46036, 46037, Aug. 29, 1997; 68 FR 1387, Jan. 10, 2003; 69 FR 49271, Aug. 11, 2004; 70 FR 15239, Mar. 25, 2005; 71 FR 55341, Sept. 22, 2006; 77 FR 29076, May 16, 2012; 81 FR 26901, May 4, 2016; 81 FR 64036, Sept. 16, 2016]