Failure to Ensure Fire-Resistant HVAC Shafts
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that the heating and ventilating shafts were enclosed with a minimum fire resistance rating of at least one hour, as required by the 2012 NFPA 101 and NFPA 90A standards. During the recertification survey, it was observed that the HVAC ductwork serving residents' toilet rooms and soiled utility rooms did not meet the necessary fire resistance requirements. Specifically, vertical ventilation ducts passing through floors on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors were not enclosed with one-hour fire-rated construction within the interstitial spaces above the suspended ceilings. Additionally, there were no fire-rated dampers installed at the floor level where the ducts penetrated the floor. These deficiencies were identified during a life code survey conducted over two days, and the findings were communicated to the facility's Administrator, Corporate Director of Maintenance, and Director of Maintenance during the Life Safety Code exit conference. The lack of proper fire resistance measures in the HVAC system represents a failure to comply with the specified fire safety standards, potentially compromising the safety of the facility's environment.
Penalty
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