Deficiency in Egress Door Locking Arrangements
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified regarding the facility's egress doors, which are part of the required means of egress. The doors were found to be equipped with latches or locks that require the use of a tool or key from the egress side, which is not permitted unless specific special locking arrangements are in place. The report outlines that for clinical needs or security threat locking, only one locking device is allowed per door, and staff must have reliable means for rapid removal of occupants, such as remote control, keyed access, or other reliable methods. Additionally, for special needs locking arrangements, the locks must be electrical and fail-safe, releasing upon power loss, and the area must be protected by both a supervised automatic sprinkler system and a complete smoke detection system, with both systems arranged to unlock the doors upon activation. The report further details that delayed-egress, access-controlled, and elevator lobby exit access locking arrangements are only permitted under specific conditions, such as the presence of approved fire detection and sprinkler systems. The deficiency was cited because the facility did not meet these requirements as evidenced by the survey findings. No specific information about individual residents or their medical conditions is provided in the report.