Applying NFPA 99 to health care facilities

摘要

NFPA 99: Health Care Facilities Code identifies criteria applicable to health care facilities including hospitals and nursing homes. The impact of applying NFPA 99 to health care facilities varies depending on the level of care provided. NFPA 99-2015 is the latest edition, but there are few changes from the 2012 edition focused on fire protection other than editorial revisions. NFPA 99-2012 is more widely used due to its adoption by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Editions prior to the 2012 edition of NFPA 99 were limited in their application since they were not individually adopted by CMS. However, limited portions of NFPA 99-1999 were referenced by applicable CMS criteria. Changes to NFPA 99 from earlier editions to both the 2012 and 2015 editions will be discussed as they apply to fire protection and life safety, with changes specific to the 2015 edition identified in each section.