By Brad Keyes / Special to Healthcare Facilities Today

Healthcare Facilities Today is happy to announce that Brad Keyes, CHSP, will be writing a weekly Q&A column for our website. Visit healthcarefacilitiestoday every Wednesday for Brad's column. Better yet visit us every weekday for news, insights and advice for healthcare facilities professionals.

Q: In a business occupancy and an ambulatory occupancy do we need to test our generator on load each month or can we do a load bank test once per year?

A: Yes… Monthly load tests are required for emergency power generators at ambulatory healthcare occupancies and business occupancies. According to the 2012 Life Safety Code, sections 20/21.5.1.1 for ambulatory healthcare occupancies and 38/39.5.1 for business occupancies, compliance with section 9.1 on utilities is required (just like healthcare occupancies). 

Section 9.1.3 requires compliance with NFPA 110-2010 regarding emergency power generators, and section 8.4.1 of NFPA 110 requires monthly load tests.

Now… there is an exception to all of these testing requirements…. Section 9.1.3 says emergency generators, where required for compliance by the LSC, must be tested and maintained in accordance with NFPA 110-2010. So, if you are not required to have emergency power generators at the ambulatory healthcare occupancy or the business occupancy, then you do not have to maintain them according to NFPA 110. 

Brad Keyes, CHSP, is the owner of KEYES Life Safety Compliance, and his expertise is in the management of the Life Safety Program, including the Environment of Care and Emergency Management programs