South Carolina Code of Regulations › Chapter 61 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL › Subchapter 61-91 - Standards for Licensing Ambulatory Surgical Facilities › Sec2 61-91.2400 - HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING › Section 61-91.2400.2403 - Ventilation Requirements

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 6, June 28, 2024
A. The
				ventilation rates shown herein shall be considered as minimum acceptable rates
				and shall not be construed as precluding the use of higher ventilation rates
				for operating rooms.
B.
				Temperatures and humidity. HVAC systems shall be designed to provide the
				temperature and humidity shown below:
AREA
DESIGNATION
TEMPERATURE
RELATIVE
HUMIDITY
FAHRENHEIT
CENTIGRADE
Operating Rooms
70-76°
21-24°
50-60%
Recovery Areas
75-80°
24-27°
50-60%
Procedure Rooms; Other
72-78°
22-26°
50-60%
C.
				All air-supply and air-exhaust systems for the surgical suite shall be
				mechanically operated.
D. All fans
				serving exhaust systems shall be located at the discharge end of the
				system.
E. Outdoor intakes shall be
				located as far as practical from the exhausts from any ventilating system,
				combustion equipment, and plumbing vents and at least three feet above the
				ground or roof.
F. All air supplied
				to operating rooms shall be delivered at or near the ceiling of the area served
				and all exhaust from the area shall be removed near floor level.
G. At least two exhaust outlets shall be used
				in all operating rooms.
EXCEPTION: Only one exhaust outlet is required for facilities
				  that perform endoscopy.
H.
				The bottom of any room supply air inlets, re-circulation, and exhaust air
				outlets shall be located not less than three inches above the floor.
I. All ventilation or air conditioning
				systems serving operating rooms shall have a minimum of two filter beds.
1. Filter bed #1 shall be located upstream of
				the air conditioning equipment and shall have a minimum efficiency of
				25%.
2. Filter bed #2 shall be
				downstream of the supply fan and of recirculating spray water and water
				reservoir-type humidifiers. Filter bed #2 shall have a minimum efficiency of
				90%.
3. All filter efficiencies
				shall be certified by an independent testing agency and shall be based on the
				atmospheric dust spot efficiency determination in accordance with ASHRAE
				Standard 52-68, except that the exhausts from all laboratory hoods in which
				infectious or radioactive materials are processed shall be equipped with
				filters having a 99% efficiency based on the DOP (dioctyophthalate) test method
				and there shall be equipment and/or procedure for the safe removal of
				contaminated filters.
4. Filter
				frames shall be durable and carefully dimensioned and shall provide an airtight
				fit with the enclosing duct-work. All joints between filter segments and the
				enclosing duct-work shall be gasketed or sealed to provide a positive seal
				against air leakage.
5. Each filter
				bed serving sensitive areas or central air systems shall have a manometer
				installed across each filter bed.
EXCEPTION: A single-step filter bed of 20% filters is
				  required for endoscopy facilities.