K-Tag K222

Egress Doors

This regulation establishes fire and life safety requirements for egress doors in healthcare facilities, prohibiting locks that require tools or keys from the egress side unless specific clinical/security or special needs locking arrangements are in place. Compliant special locking must allow rapid removal of occupants via remote control, staff-carried keys, or other reliable means. Electrical locks used for special needs must fail-safe upon power loss, and both sprinkler and smoke detection systems must be configured to unlock doors upon activation. This is a CMS Life Safety Code survey tag applied to inpatient psychiatric facilities.

K222 Egress Doors 
Doors in a required means of egress shall not be equipped with a latch or a 
lock that requires the use of a tool or key from the egress side unless using 
one of the following special locking arrangements: 
 ☐ CLINICAL NEEDS OR SECURITY THREAT LOCKING
Where special locking arrangements for the clinical security needs of the 
patient are used, only one locking device shall be permitted on each door 
and provisions shall be made for the rapid removal of occupants by: remote 
 control of locks; keying of all locks or keys carried by staff at all times; or 
 other such reliable means available to the staff at all times. 
18.2.2.2.5.1, 18.2.2.2.6, 19.2.2.2.5.1, 19.2.2.2.6 
☐ SPECIAL NEEDS LOCKING ARRANGEMENTS
Where special locking arrangements for the safety needs of the patient are 
used, all of the Clinical or Security Locking requirements are being met. In 
addition, the locks must be electrical locks that fail safely so as to release 
upon loss of power to the device; the building is protected by a supervised 
automatic sprinkler system and the locked space is protected by a complete 
smoke detection system (or is constantly monitored at an attended location 
within the locked space); and both the sprinkler and detection systems are 
arranged to unlock the doors upon activation. 
 18.2.2.2.5.2, 19.2.2.2.5.2, TIA 12-4 
Name of Facility 2012 LIFE SAFETY CODE
 
Form CMS-2786R (07/2018)
 Page 7 

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