ASHE Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield ASHE facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. What is a best practice for maintaining life-saving medical devices? → Perform regular testing and calibration
2. Why is water conservation important in health care facilities? → Reduces costs and ensures sustainability
3. According to the most widely used ICRA matrix definitions, which of the following activities would be classified as a Type A construction activity? → Removing a single ceiling tile for a brief visual inspection.
4. What is a key element of a hospital’s sustainability plan? → Implement energy-efficient building designs
5. A healthcare facility experiencing a loss of normal utility power must transfer to emergency power within what maximum time frame per NFPA 99? → 10 seconds
6. Which federal agency provides the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101 used as a planning framework by healthcare facilities? → Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
7. What is the primary goal of health care facility management? → Ensure safety, efficiency, and compliance
8. Which utility system is classified as 'Essential Electrical System' branch in NFPA 99 for healthcare facilities? → Life safety branch, critical branch, and equipment branch
9. Per NFPA 99 and CGA C-9 standards for medical gas piping, what are the primary identifiers required on a pipe label? → The name of the gas or vacuum system and its corresponding standard color code.
10. The four phases of emergency management recognized by FEMA are mitigation, preparedness, response, and what fourth phase? → Recovery
11. What is the purpose of an asset management system in a health care facility? → To track and maintain medical equipment
12. Which document outlines a hospital's comprehensive plan for managing emergencies and defines roles during a disaster? → Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
13. What is 'surge capacity' in healthcare emergency management? → A facility's ability to expand services to meet sudden increased demand
14. An ICRA is best described as a 'living document' because it must be: → Reviewed and updated if the project scope, site conditions, or patient risk levels change.
15. Which organization sets regulatory compliance standards for health care facilities in the U.S.? → Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
16. Which fire safety regulation is mandatory for health care facilities? → Compliance with NFPA Life Safety Code
17. At which stage of a healthcare construction or renovation project should the initial Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) be performed? → In the earliest planning and design phases, before the project is bid.
18. When a healthcare facility activates its Emergency Operations Plan, the HICS structure places overall command authority with which role? → Incident Commander
19. Which system can significantly reduce energy consumption in a health care facility? → LED lighting and automated controls
20. Which standard addresses the minimum performance requirements for automatic transfer switches (ATS) used in healthcare emergency power systems? → UL 1008
21. Which of the following has been an important change introduced in the ASHE ICRA 2.0 update compared to previous versions? → The introduction of a fifth class of precautions (Class V).
22. Which strategy can help a hospital reduce its carbon footprint? → Use renewable energy sources
23. Which phase of emergency management focuses on activities taken AFTER a disaster to restore normal operations and services? → Recovery
24. The Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) is based on which broader emergency management framework? → Incident Command System (ICS)
25. What is an essential element of an effective emergency preparedness plan? → Include disaster response strategies and training
26. During a renovation project in an active hospital, which of the following is the MOST critical consideration for a healthcare facility professional to manage? → Implementing strict infection control risk assessment (ICRA) protocols.
27. During an external disaster response, a healthcare facility receives more patients than it can safely manage. What is this situation called? → Surge event
28. Why is preventive maintenance essential in health care facilities? → To reduce failure risks and ensure safety
29. What is the minimum required fuel supply for a hospital's emergency generator under NFPA 110? → 96 hours
30. Which regulatory agency oversees safety standards in health care facilities? → The Joint Commission