By Robert Trotter, CBO, CFM
The 2000 edition of NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code® requires all occupied rooms in a health care facility to have direct access to a corridor leading to an exit, or must be arranged to comply with one of the exemptions. The term “habitable room” does not include bathrooms, closets, and similar spaces as well as briefly occupied work spaces. Section 19.2.5.1 states “Every habitable room shall have an exit access door leading directly to an exit access corridor.” There are four exceptions to the prescriptive requirement:
Exception No. 1: If there is an exit door opening directly to the outside from the room at ground level.
Exception No. 2: Exit access from a patient sleeping room with not more than eight patient beds shall be permitted to pass through one intervening room to reach the exit access corridor.
Exception No. 3: Exit access from a special nursing suite shall be permitted to pass through one intervening room to reach the exit access corridor where the arrangement allows for direct and constant visual supervision by nursing personnel.
Exception No. 4: Exit access from a suite of rooms, other than patient sleeping rooms, shall be permitted to pass through not more than two adjacent rooms to reach the exit access corridor where the travel distance within the suite is in accordance with 19.2.5.8. [One intervening room if the travel distance within the suite to the exit access door does not exceed 100 feet (example pictured above) and two intervening rooms where the travel distance within the suite to the exit access door does not exceed 50 feet.]
