Oklahoma Administrative Code › Title 310 - Oklahoma State Department of Health › Chapter 616 - Birthing Centers Regulations › Subchapter 5 - Minimum Standards › Section 310:616-5-3 - Life Safety Code

Current through Vol. 41, No. 20, July 1, 2024
(a) This section
				establishes life safety requirements for free standing birthing centers that
				are permitted to operate twenty-four hours per day.
(b) Each floor occupied by patients shall
				have not less than two remote exits, one of which shall discharge directly to
				the outside.
(c) Travel distance to
				an exit shall be limited to 150 feet.
(d) Doors in means of egress shall be not
				less than thirty-four inches wide.
(e) Corridors and ways of exit shall be
				provided with emergency lighting. Emergency lights shall operate, without
				manual intervention, on failure of normal electric service with power supplied
				by battery packs or emergency generator.
(f) Construction standards shall be in
				accordance with applicable building codes for group use and occupancy. In
				locations where no building code exists, construction shall conform to the
				state adopted building code. New and existing buildings to be occupied by a
				birthing center may be of NFPA construction Type V-000, unprotected wood frame
				or any code complying residential construction type providing that fire and
				safety features are in practice. Buildings three stories in height shall be of
				at least one hour fire resistive construction. Plans of construction of a new
				building, addition to or major alterations of existing buildings, shall be
				submitted to the Department and the State Fire Marshall. All structures shall
				be equipped with an approved sprinkler system.
(g) Interior finishes in exit ways shall be
				class "A" (flame spread 0 - 25).
(h) A manual fire alarm interconnected with a
				corridor smoke detection system shall be installed with direct connection with
				the local fire department of a manned central station.
(i) Electrical wiring in new construction
				shall be in compliance with national electrical code N.F.P.A. #70. Major
				electrical appliances shall be grounded in accordance with manufacturers
				recommendations.
(j) The use of
				extension cords or temporary wiring is prohibited.
(k) A floor plan of the building shall be
				posted in a conspicuous place showing the evacuation route of the exit
				ways.
(l) Fire drills shall be
				conducted quarterly and will be documented.
(m) The birthing center shall have at least
				one fire extinguisher for each floor and one extinguisher for the kitchen area.
				The kitchen extinguisher shall be at least a five pound dry chemical or carbon
				dioxide type. All others shall be either a five pound ABC or two and one-half
				gallon pressurized water type.
(n)
				Emergency telephone numbers shall be posted at the telephone.
(o) Air conditioning, heating and ventilation
				equipment shall be installed and maintained in accordance with N.F.P.A.
				90A.
(p) Corridors shall not be
				used as return air plenums.
(q) Air
				handling units in excess of 2500 cubic feet per minute (cfm) used for heat,
				exhaust and air conditioning systems, shall be controlled by all phases for the
				fire alarm system to cease air movement.
(r) The use of non-vented fuel burning space
				heaters and portable electric heaters are prohibited.
(s) All hot water heaters shall be equipped
				with temperature and pressure relief valves designed for relieving
				capacity.
(t) Combustion, exhaust
				and ventilation air shall be taken from and discharged directly to outside
				air.
(u) If parts of a birthing
				center, already in operation prior to the date a standard is issued, fail to
				meet a particular standard, compliance with the standard will be waived if
				patient care and safety are not deemed to be in jeopardy.
Added at 9 Ok Reg 1715,
				  eff 4-23-92 (emergency); Added at 9 Ok Reg 1979, eff
				  6-11-92