The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has recently released the 2012 Edition of the Life Safety Code (LSC). Currently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) enforces the 2000 Edition of the LSC. The updated LSC includes many changes for health facilities, and addresses cultural changes for nursing homes. For instance, to move a nursing home to more of a home-like setting, certain provisions will allow some seating in corridors, cooking facilities open to the corridor, and gas fireplaces. These additions are intended to improve nursing home design, but are subject to many requirements and restrictions contained in the LSC.
The new LSC provisions for health facilities will not be in effect until CMS and/or the Joint Commission (for facilities subject to accreditation) adopt the new LSC. This process could take 18 months, or longer.
Should you have any questions, please contact:
Todd Selby at 317.977.1440 or tselby@wp.hallrender.com;
Brian Jent at 317.977.1402 or bjent@wp.hallrender.com; or
David Bufford at 502.568.9368 or dbufford@wp.hallrender.com,
or your regular Hall Render attorney.
