Maintenance and Operations Flashcards

A hospital's isolation room is measured to have a positive pressure differential instead of the required negative pressure. What is the MOST immediate concern?

Answer: Potential spread of airborne pathogens from the room to the corridor

A positive pressure in an isolation room allows airborne pathogens to escape into the corridor, creating an immediate infection control risk for patients, staff, and visitors.

What is the primary regulatory driver for maintaining documentation of elevator inspections and certifications in a healthcare facility?

Answer: State elevator safety laws and ASME A17.1 standards

Elevator inspections and certificates of operation are governed by state laws typically based on ASME A17.1, the Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators.

During a power outage, which branch of the Essential Electrical System (EES) must restore power to nurse call systems?

Answer: Critical Branch

The Critical Branch of the EES, as defined by NFPA 99, includes nurse call systems and must restore power within 10 seconds.

A facilities team is using vibration analysis on a hospital air handler. A spike at a frequency equal to the number of fan blades multiplied by RPM indicates:

Answer: Blade pass frequency — possible blade damage or airflow restriction

A vibration spike at blade pass frequency (number of blades × RPM) indicates aerodynamic issues such as blade damage, fouling, or obstructed airflow.

Which organization publishes the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) Guidelines used for healthcare construction and renovation projects?

Answer: Facility Guidelines Institute

The Facility Guidelines Institute publishes the Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospitals and Outpatient Facilities, widely adopted by states for healthcare construction regulation.

In a healthcare facility's medical gas system, a master alarm panel must be monitored:

Answer: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at a continuously staffed location

NFPA 99 requires medical gas master alarm panels to be monitored continuously at a location staffed 24/7, such as a nursing station or security desk.

A Planned Preventive Maintenance (PPM) completion rate below what threshold typically triggers a regulatory compliance concern for Joint Commission-accredited facilities?

Answer: 95%

The Joint Commission expects facilities to achieve at least a 95% PM completion rate; rates below this threshold are likely to generate findings during surveys.