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Q: I recently heard that we have to have two re-entry points in stairwells that are four stories or more, and all doors have to be labeled either "NO RE-ENTRY" …
Q: In my hospital, they have installed electronic hardware on stairwell doors that allows the door to latch on activation of the fire alarm only. The reason was patient complaints …
Q: My question relates to storage in stairwells. Emergency Management is requesting patient transfer devices, (Sleds and Stair Chairs) to be stored in the stairwell. This would locate the device …
Q: I'm a Facilities Director overseeing an existing 8-story (basement included) acute care hospital fully sprinklered. We wish to mechanically lock (no auto unlock feature) floors 2-7 (Floor one being …
Q: I have been reading about stairwells and what the code addresses. I am interpreting that the AHJ's are stringent of what can be placed in a stairwell. Is it …
Q: Can signage, other than that specifically required for inside a fire exit stairwell according to the LSC, be placed inside a fire exit stairwell? A: Technically… no. According to …
Q: With the new 2012 Life Safety Code adoption, my question is around the stairwell signage and 7.2.2.5.4.1. Hospitals are confused whether they have to replace all their signs to …
Continuing in a series of strange things that I have seen while consulting at hospitals... I believe those electrical panels installed in this stairwell were for new access-control lock badge …
Q: Can a stairwell door that leads to the outside of a hospital be locked with a lock that requires a code to unlock it? I seem to recall that …
Continuing in a series of strange things that I have seen when consulting at hospitals... This is an evacuation chair or sled that is hanging from a sprinkler drain pipe …
Q: I have several hospitals that have been cited by surveyors for having carpet in the stairwells. Can you tell me if there is any code requirement that states that …
Q: Can I install security cameras in stairwells A: You can…. But be prepared to remove them. Many Accreditation Organizations (AOs) and most states who survey on behalf of CMS …
Q: We have a potential elopement risk at the nursing home where I work. A patient gets into the stairwell and down to the first floor and exits the building …
Q: We are being told by our local AHJ that a stairwell in a 2 story building has to be 2-hour fire resistance rated so that it meets the requirements …
Q: With the elimination of the CMS Waivers, I was trying to clarify what now applies for mechanical room combustibles storage (i.e. mechanical areas with only stairway and elevator access …
Q: What is the Life Safety Code ruling on cameras and speakers in stairwells? Joint Commission was in and cited us on having cameras in the stairwells. We were told …
Q: I just got cited by the Joint Commission for having evacuation chairs at tops of our stairwells. The chairs were not causing any egress issues in my opinion, but …
Q: We are being told that section 7.2.2.5.4.3 of the 2012 Life Safety Code requires us to install paint on the nose tread on stairs in existing egress stairways as …
Q: I have a question about putting pictures up in stairwells. Someone in our administration department at our hospital wants to put pictures up in a stairwell. We have already …
Q: I understand it would be best to not place something affixed to the walls of the exit stairwell that protrudes in to the path of egress, which in turn, …
Q: Can a chair lift device be installed in an exit stairwell? What are the regulations? A: The Life Safety Code and the local building codes set minimum widths of …
I thought you might be interested in seeing some of the strange things I have observed as a consultant for healthcare organizations. This is a picture of a cage that a …
Q: I am looking for a code reference which specifies the installation height for stairwell signage. It appears that NFPA 101 indicates 5 feet above the stairwell landing but does …
Q: Is there any specific regulation that addresses storing items under stairwells and if so does it differentiate between public stairs and stairs which are utilized to access areas not …
If you were a bit surprised by the wording of the sign to the left... You're not alone. I had to do a double-take when I first saw it, as …
We should all know that storage of items in an exit enclosure, such as a stairwell, is not permitted by the Life Safety Code. Right? Well... there are exceptions that would …
Stairwell interruption gates are those bars or half-size gates that are mounted inside the stairwells on the level of exit discharge. they swing freely allowing exiting in the direction of …
Q: During a recent survey, the surveyor said a card reader on the stairwell door cannot be located on an adjacent wall or door frame, but it must be an …
Q: Can evacuation chairs be installed in stairwells? A: The answer is… maybe yes and maybe no. Sorry, that’s not a direct answer, so please allow me to explain. Section …
A question came up recently as to the proper mounting of the stairwell identification signs that are required in stairwells of a certain height. The wall-mounted stair identification signs are supposed …
Q: In regards to stairwell signage, when you have restrictive access back into the building from a stairwell in accordance with section 7.2.1.5.2 of the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, …
Q: We have a stairwell in our hospital that extends from the 8th floor to the 1st floor, where there is a door that discharges the occupants to the outdoors …
Q: I read an article were an interruption gate is required in a stairwell to prevent people from traveling past the floor where they should exit. Is this a requirement …
Q: In my hospital, I have an exit stairwell that does not discharge to the outside of the building, but rather it terminates in a corridor inside the building. Is …
Q: Is it permitted to have a time clock in an exit stairwell of a hospital? My VP of Operations wants to install time recording stations in stairwells where employees …
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