Life Safety (LS) (Nursing Care Center / Nursing Care Center)
Means of Egress - Locking Doors
Publish | January 01, 0001
What are the requirements with regards to locking doors within a required means of egress?
Per LS.02.01.20, (therefore NFPA 101 (2000 edition) 18/19.2.2.2.4) doors within a required means of egress shall not be equipped with a latch or lock that requires the use of a tool or key from the egress side. The allowable exceptions are unique and have specific required features. Mixing and matching of these features is not compliant. Exception No. 1: Door-locking arrangements without delayed egress shall be permitted in health care occupancies, or portions of health care occupancies, where the clinical needs of the patients require specialized security measures for their safety, provided that staff can readily unlock such doors at all times. (See 18/19.1.1.1.5 and 18/19.2.2.2.5.) Exception No. 2: Delayed-egress locks complying with 7.2.1.6.1 shall be permitted, provided that not more than one such device is located in any egress path. Exception No. 3: Access-controlled egress doors complying with 7.2.1.6.2 shall be permitted. With regard to Exception 1, per CMS S&C letter 13-58 item 4 Doors, "clinical needs of the patients" in 18/19.2.2.2.4 applies to areas with a risk of patient elopement like psychiatric units. Areas containing patients that require specialized protective measures for their safety, and areas where patients pose a security risk are not applicable to the 2000 edition of NFPA 101. But the organization may choose to invoke CMS Categorical Waiver 13-58-LSC-4 for this issue as long as the locking arrangements are in compliance with NFPA 101 (2012 edition) 18/19.2.2.2.2 through 18/19.2.2.2.6, as applicable. (see the Frequently Asked Question concerning proper invocation of a Categorical Waiver) [LS.02.01.20]
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