PLAN REVIEW PROCEDURE FOR DOCTOR'S AND DENTIST'S OFFICE
Administrative Rule Adopted by Bureau Pursuant to Rule-Making
Authority
ARB-ENB-13.16
BACKGROUND
Effective with the adoption of the new edition of the State Building Code on
January 1, 1993 there will be new regulations pertaining to space used by
doctors and dentists who, in the normal course of their practices, use
procedures that cause one or more of their patients to be incapable of
recognizing a fire emergency and subsequently exiting the building.
These regulations are intended to allow minor medical and dental procedures,
commonly referred to as outpatient care or day surgery, in buildings other than
hospitals.
These regulations are note retroactive for existing tenants. The regulations
would only be required at the time of application for a building permit for a
tenant improvement.
The regulations are separated into two categories:
I-1.2 (Building Code Occupancy Classification) for buildings other than
hospitals in which medical or dental care is provided which may render a
patient incapable of unassisted self-preservation when the aggregate total of
such patients is more than 5 on any floor of a building.
I-1.3 (Building Code Occupancy Classification) for buildings other than
hospitals in which medical or dental care is provided which may render a
patient incapable of unassisted self-preservation when the aggregate total of
such patients is at least one but not more than give on any floor of the
building.
The regulation thresholds are based upon the number of patients who are
potentially incapable of unassisted self-preservation at any given time on any
one floor of a building. The following will be the plan review procedure used to
determine the number of patients incapable of self-preservation.
POLICY
A. All fire and life safety plans examiners are authorized to review building
permit applications for B2, 1-1.2 and 1-1.3 occupancies.
B. Doctors and dentists have sole responsibility for making determination as
to the capability of their patients to be able to respond unassisted to attain
self-preservation in a fire emergency.
PROCEDURE
The plan examiner will:
1. Provide information packet* to permit applicant consisting of:
-
Explanatory memo on new code requirements affecting
doctors/dentists.
-
Doctors/dentists questionnaire.
-
Sample building -/manager to tenant explanation.
-
Sample building owner/manager to tenant questionnaire.
2. Highlight the need for the Doctors/Dentists Questionnaire; Building
Owner/Manager Questionnaire; architectural, mechanical and plumbing plans;
permit valuations.
3. Request/review Doctors/Dentists Questionnaire; Building Owner/Manager
Questionnaire if appropriate. Determine occupancy class.
4. Request building, mechanical and plumbing plans as appropriate. Set up
building and mechanical permits.
5. Review plans in accordance with occupancy class.
6. Staple questionnaires to all sets of plans; clearly indicate on building
permit and plans the occupancy class.
*Note: This information will be sent to all known building owners/managers of
medical/dental buildings, to architectural firms who typically engage in this
kind of work and to appropriate professional associations.
DEVIATIONS FROM CODE
Considerable judgement needs to be utilized in the implementation of these
code requirements. The range of covered medical/dental uses in terms of the
quickness in which in-patients are able to recover and attain unassisted
self-preservation is quite broad and not fully understood at this time. The
staff is directed to be sensitive to this issue and the costs that the
application of these regulations may have on existing buildings. Buildings
heretofore that have been classified as B2 occupancies will not be required to
undergo a change of occupancy as the result of tenant spaces being classified at
I-1.2 or I-1.3. Further, in certain instances, it may be appropriate that
occupancy separation requirements be reduced through the appeal process.
HISTORY
Filed by Bureau of Development Services for inclusion in PPD September 29,
2004.
Originally published as Bureau of Buildings Procedure No. B-6-13 dated
September 1, 1992.
