ASHE Healthcare Facility Safety 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a healthcare facility, what is the primary purpose of a smoke compartment?
- To contain fire and prevent it from spreading to other floors
- To provide an area of refuge where patients can shelter in place during a fire (Correct answer)
- To divide a floor into zones for HVAC efficiency
- To separate high-acuity patients from general ward patients
Correct answer: To provide an area of refuge where patients can shelter in place during a fire
Smoke compartments allow staff to use a defend-in-place strategy by moving non-ambulatory patients horizontally into an adjacent compartment away from smoke.
Question 2: Which type of sprinkler head is required in healthcare facility storage rooms with a ceiling height greater than 20 feet?
- Standard upright sprinkler
- Residential sprinkler
- Early Suppression Fast Response (ESFR) sprinkler (Correct answer)
- Extended coverage sprinkler
Correct answer: Early Suppression Fast Response (ESFR) sprinkler
ESFR sprinklers are designed for high-challenge fire environments in high-bay storage areas, delivering high water density quickly to suppress fire.
Question 3: A healthcare facility is planning a construction project adjacent to the ICU. What is the FIRST step in the safety planning process?
- Apply for a building permit
- Conduct an Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) (Correct answer)
- Install temporary barriers
- Notify local fire department
Correct answer: Conduct an Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA)
The ICRA must be performed first to identify risks to immunocompromised patients from dust, debris, and disrupted utilities before construction begins.
Question 4: Under NFPA 99, what is the minimum number of hours that a hospital's essential electrical system (EES) generator must be able to run without refueling?
- 24 hours
- 48 hours
- 72 hours (Correct answer)
- 96 hours
Correct answer: 72 hours
NFPA 99 requires the essential electrical system to have sufficient on-site fuel for at least 96 hours of operation at full load.
Question 5: What does a Type 1 Essential Electrical System (EES) branch serve in a hospital?
- Life Safety branch, Critical branch, and Equipment branch (Correct answer)
- Normal power circuits for administrative areas
- HVAC systems only
- Emergency lighting and exit signs only
Correct answer: Life Safety branch, Critical branch, and Equipment branch
A Type 1 EES, required in hospitals, consists of the Life Safety branch, Critical branch, and Equipment branch, serving critical patient care areas.
Question 6: What organization publishes the guidelines used for physical environment standards in hospitals that reference space planning and construction?
- OSHA
- FGI (Facilities Guidelines Institute) (Correct answer)
- NFPA
- The Joint Commission
Correct answer: FGI (Facilities Guidelines Institute)
The Facilities Guidelines Institute (FGI) publishes the Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospitals, which many states adopt as law for healthcare construction.
Question 7: In healthcare facilities, Blanket Warming Cabinets are classified under NFPA 99 as which type of equipment?
- Category 1 electrical equipment
- Category 2 electrical equipment (Correct answer)
- Non-patient care electrical equipment
- Category 3 electrical equipment
Correct answer: Category 2 electrical equipment
Blanket warming cabinets are Category 2 electrical equipment because they may contact a patient indirectly and are subject to regular inspection and testing.
ASHE Healthcare Facility Safety 3
In a healthcare facility, what is the primary purpose of a smoke compartment?