elimination of smoke detectors in patient rooms

[mshields]

To my knowledge patient rooms be they in I1 or I2 facilities must have smoke detectors. Is any one aware of an exception to this rule? I've got a hospital client who would like to be rid of them.

 

[jumper]

The ICC allows free access to the IBC.

Fire alarm and detection is section 907.

http://codes.iccsafe.org/app/book/content/2015-I-Codes/2015 IBC HTML/Chapter 9.html

 

[mshields]

907

907

Yes - I did look and in MA there is an amendment for I1 facilities requiring smoke detectors in sleeping area's but there is no such amendment for I2 and the actual IBC verbiage seems to imply that smoke detector would only be required in the room if one wanted to forego smoke detection in the corridors.

So I think they are not required actually.

 

[LIM]

Yes - I did look and in MA there is an amendment for I1 facilities requiring smoke detectors in sleeping area's but there is no such amendment for I2 and the actual IBC verbiage seems to imply that smoke detector would only be required in the room if one wanted to forego smoke detection in the corridors.

So I think they are not required actually.

You are correct, under the IBC only corridors and spaces open to the corridor must be detected. There is an exception to detect the patient rooms with a visible signal at the door in lieu of corridor detection.

 

[mgookin]

To my knowledge patient rooms be they in I1 or I2 facilities must have smoke detectors. Is any one aware of an exception to this rule? I've got a hospital client who would like to be rid of them.

Are you talking about elimination of the smoke detector or elimination of the notification appliance? In hospitals the notification is always at the nurse's station (and security, etc.) so as to not startle the patient IIRC.

 

[steve66]

You are correct, under the IBC only corridors and spaces open to the corridor must be detected. There is an exception to detect the patient rooms with a visible signal at the door in lieu of corridor detection.

That seems to imply if the detectors are eliminated in the patient rooms, the patient rooms would have to have automatic closers on the doors.

 

[LIM]

That seems to imply if the detectors are eliminated in the patient rooms, the patient rooms would have to have automatic closers on the doors.

Spaces open to the corridor means without a door, such as a nurse station, waiting area...etc. I2 corridor walls are only smoke partitions and do not require closers on the doors.

In a typical I-2 building, the corridors are detected every 30 feet. Smoke detectors are not added anywhere else unless its required by a special code, an AHJ request, or an owner request.

 

[mshields]

thanks for all the input

thanks for all the input

With regard to one of your questions; smoke detectors vs signaling. The question is only about smoke detectors and whether they are required in patient rooms. We are not talking about public vs private mode signaling.

If you're curious, I'm in MA and while I persuaded that the IBC does not require smokes in patient rooms, MA added a paragraph 907.2.24 that indicates that they are required here in the Commonwealth.

Thanks again,

Mike