What is the requirement regarding placement of alcohol based hand rub dispensers in hallways and in some waiting areas. Although the criteria on horizontal spacing are so specific (4 feet apart), the installation over or directly adjacent to ignition sources is not so clear. Can you provide some direction and explanation for approach to placement?
ABHR Product: Dispensers in Egress Corridors
The Joint Commission allows the installation of product dispensers in corridors provided that the following conditions are met:
- The corridor width is 6 feet or greater and dispensers are at least 4 feet apart
- The dispensers are not installed over or directly adjacent to electrical outlets and switches. “Adjacent” is defined as being no closer than 6 inches from the center of the dispenser to either side.
- In locations with carpeted floor coverings, dispensers installed directly over carpeted surfaces are permitted only in sprinklered smoke compartments.
ABHR Product: Permissible Volume
- Each smoke compartment may contain a maximum aggregate of 10 gallons (37.8 liters) of ABHR product in dispensers and a maximum of 5 gallons (18.9 liters) in storage.
- The maximum individual dispenser fluid capacity is 1.2 liters for dispensers in rooms, corridors, and areas open to corridors.
- The maximum individual dispensers in suites of rooms is 2.0 liters
- Volumes of ABHR foam are based on suppliers’ recommendations and in no case exceed the permissible equivalent volumes for ABHR as defined above.
Risk Assessment to Manage Risks:
The Joint Commission clarification on ABHR is based on the latest information in the NFPA 101-2000, Life Safety Code®. As with other areas of the code, organizations may not meet all the requirements completely, but may still provide an equivalent level of safety through assessing and managing the specific construction, systems, or operation of an area. Likewise, an organization that cannot meet all the requirements outlined in this clarification may perform a product-specific risk assessment of the ABHR product using product literature and determine alternative methods to achieve an equivalent level of safety.