This regulation establishes fire safety requirements for cooking facilities in inpatient psychiatric settings, requiring compliance with NFPA 96 for commercial cooking equipment while providing exceptions for residential cooking equipment, corridor-adjacent cooking areas in small smoke compartments, and enclosed cooking areas in small smoke compartments. Facilities using NFPA 96-compliant cooking equipment are not required to treat those areas as hazardous enclosures but must keep them closed off from corridors.
View official sourceK324 Cooking Facilities Cooking equipment is protected in accordance with NFPA 96, Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations, unless: residential cooking equipment (i.e., small appliances such as microwaves, hot plates, toasters) are used for food warming or limited cooking in accordance with 18.3.2.5.2, 19.3.2.5.2. cooking facilities open to the corridor in smoke compartments with 30 or fewer patients comply with the conditions under 18.3.2.5.3, 19.3.2.5.3, or cooking facilities in smoke compartments with 30 or fewer patients comply with conditions under 18.3.2.5.4, 19.3.2.5.4. Cooking facilities protected according to NFPA 96 per 9.2.3 are not required to be enclosed as hazardous areas, but shall not be open to the corridor. 18.3.2.5.1 through 18.3.2.5.4, 19.3.2.5.1 through 19.3.2.5.5, 9.2.3, TIA 12-2