In a recent Q&A on the FacilityCare website, consultant Brad Keyes answered a question about construction barrier doors.
Q: Does a door that accesses a construction site within a hospital need to have an automatic closer installed on the access door? What if the door is constructed within temporary drywall barriers?
A: As of right now, this is an issue that is left pretty much up to the surveyor and the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).
According to section 19.7.9.2 of the 2000 Life Safety Code (LSC), healthcare organizations are currently required to comply with the 1996 edition of NFPA 241, Standard for Safeguarding Construction, Alteration, and Demolition Operations. NFPA 241 does not require fire-rated barriers to separate construction areas from occupied areas, so fire-rated doors that are self-closing and positive latching are not required.
However, many surveyors consider a construction area to be equal to a hazardous area as defined in 19.3.2.1 of the 2000 LSC for areas that have combustible supplies and equipment in quantities deemed hazardous
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