NFPA 99 Healthcare Facilities Code

[Shujinko]

I have a renovation project in a blood lab in an existing hospital building. The blood lab is located in a small portion of the building that is considered a Business Type Occupancy, while the rest of the building is consider a Hospital Type Occupancy (I-2). My question is since the blood lab is in a portion of the hospital that is considered a business type occupancy would we still have to meet the requirements in NFPA 99 Healthcare Facilities Code? I can't find anywhere in NFPA 99 that defines this issue.

My issue is that in NFPA-99 6.3.2.3 it requires electrical receptacles in laboratories at instrument usage areas to be mounted 3.15" above the lab bench counter and be spaced no more than 3.3' apart. We are current showing the electrical receptacles below the counter on our drawings. Therefore, I have an issue if I am required to follow NFPA 99 but I am OK if I don't have to follow NFPA 99.

Any Thoughts?

 

[LIM]

First step would be to determine what state licensure codes/rules apply to a facility and their applicability. If it was located in NC, the entire hospital would fall under NFPA 99. Just like if the vacuum pump was located in an exterior building, not I-2, it would still fall under NFPA 99.

 

[steve66]

NFPA 99 (if adopted by a local jurisdiction) applies to all health care facilities, not just hospitals.

The 1999 NFPA 99 had a similar paragraph that also referred to NCCLS Standard ASI-5 - Power requirements for clinical laboratory instruments and .....

However, I'm not sure I would consider a blood lab to be a "laboratory". There isn't usually that many electrical appliances in a blood lab, maybe even nothing more than a centrifuge.

To me, they are talking about an actual lab with lots of electrical appliances, and lots of chemicals, and such.

 

[publicgood]

Your architectural partner or code consultant needs to weigh in on division of occupancy.