This regulation establishes Life Safety Code requirements for corridor and exit design in healthcare facilities, specifically addressing dead-end corridor length limits (30 feet), common path of travel limits (100 feet), minimum exit access requirements for corridors and patient rooms, corridor access rules for habitable rooms, and suite separation and hazardous area construction standards. These are physical plant and fire safety standards applied during CMS surveys using Form CMS-2786R. Facility operators must ensure their building layouts comply with NFPA 2012 Life Safety Code sections 18 and 19, which govern new and existing healthcare occupancies respectively.
View official sourceK255 Dead-End Corridors and Common Path of Travel 2012 EXISTING Dead-end corridors shall not exceed 30 feet. Existing dead-end corridors greater than 30 feet shall be permitted to be continued to be used if it is impractical and unfeasible to alter them. 19.2.5.2 2012 NEW Dead-end corridors shall not exceed 30 feet. Common path of travel shall not exceed 100 feet. 18.2.5.2, 18.2.5.3 Number of Exits – Corridors Every corridor shall provide access to not less than two approved exits in accordance with Sections 7.4 and 7.5 without passing through any intervening rooms or spaces other than corridors or lobbies. 18.2.5.4, 19.2.5.4 Number of Exits – Patient Sleeping and Non-Sleeping Rooms Patient sleeping rooms of more than 1,000 square feet or nonsleeping rooms of more than 2,500 square feet have at least two exit access doors remotely located from each other. 18.2.5.5.1, 18.2.5.5.2, 19.2.5.5.1, 19.2.5.5.2 Corridor Access All habitable rooms not within suites have a door leading directly outside to grade or have a door leading to an exit access corridor. Patient sleeping rooms with less than eight patient beds may have one room intervening to reach an exit access corridor provided the intervening room is equipped with an approved automatic smoke detection system. 18.2.5.6.1 through 18.2.5.6.4, 19.2.5.6.1 through 19.2.5.6.4 Suite Separation, Hazardous Content, and Subdivision All suites are separated from the remainder of the building (including from other suites) by construction meeting the separation provisions for corridor construction (18.3.6.2-18.3.6.5 or 19.3.6.2-19.3.6.5). Existing approved barriers shall be allowed to continue to be used provided they limit the transfer of smoke. Intervening rooms have no hazardous areas and hazardous areas within suites comply with 18/19.2.5.7.1.3. Subdivision of suites shall be by noncombustible or limited-combustible construction. 18.2.5.7.1.2 through 18.2.5.7.1.4, 19.2.5.7.1.2, 19.2.5.7.1.3, 19.2.5.7.1.4 MET NOT MET N/A REMARKS Name of Facility 2012 LIFE SAFETY CODE Form CMS-2786R (07/2018) Page 11 ID PREFIX