Noncompliance with Corridor Door Fire and Smoke Resistance Requirements
Summary
A deficiency was identified regarding corridor doors and doors protecting corridor openings, which did not meet regulatory requirements for resisting the passage of smoke and fire. The report notes that doors in areas other than required enclosures of vertical openings, exits, or hazardous areas must be constructed of 1 3/4 inch solid-bonded core wood or other approved materials capable of resisting fire for at least 20 minutes, unless the smoke compartment is fully sprinklered, in which case only smoke resistance is required. Additionally, corridor doors and doors to rooms containing flammable or combustible materials must have positive latching hardware, and roller latches are prohibited. The clearance between the bottom of the door and the floor covering must not exceed 1 inch, and there must be no impediment to the closing of the doors. The report also specifies requirements for powered doors, hold open devices, protective plates, Dutch doors, and door frames. The deficiency was cited due to noncompliance with one or more of these requirements, as evidenced by the survey findings.
Penalty
Surveyors found that two corridor doors would not latch despite multiple attempts, and a staff member was unaware of the regulatory requirements. This deficiency had the potential to affect 17 residents, as the doors did not meet NFPA 101 standards for smoke resistance and positive latching.
Surveyors found a corridor door held open by an unapproved chain and magnet, which interfered with the door's latching mechanism and did not meet NFPA requirements for smoke resistance and positive latching, potentially affecting 13 residents.
Failure of Corridor Doors to Latch as Required by NFPA 101
Penalty
Summary
During a facility tour, surveyors observed that the corridor doors to residents' rooms A-9 and B-12 would not latch despite three attempts to secure them. These doors are required by NFPA 101-2012 standards to resist the passage of smoke and be equipped with positive latching hardware. The failure of these doors to latch was confirmed through direct observation and staff interviews. The staff member interviewed at the time, identified as MD#1, acknowledged the issue and stated he was unaware of the specific requirements for corridor doors. The deficiency was noted to have the potential to affect 17 out of 46 residents, as the non-latching doors did not meet the regulatory standards for corridor openings, which are intended to prevent the spread of smoke and maintain fire safety within the facility.
Plan Of Correction
K363 Urbana Health and Rehab wishes to point out to any person who reviews this document that we do not necessarily agree with the citations with which we were cited. However, the law requires us to prepare a plan of correction for the citations regardless of whether we agree with them or not. Thus, we have prepared such a plan as noted below. Please note though, that this plan does not constitute an admission that the citations are either legally or factually correct. This plan of correction is not meant to establish any standard of care, contract, obligation, or position and Urbana Health and Rehab reserves all rights to raise all possible contentions and defenses in any civil or criminal action or proceeding. Please accept 07/30/25 as the facility's allegation of compliance date. The facility failed to ensure that resident room doors A9 and B12 would not latch. Step 1: Director of Maintenance fixed resident room doors A9 and B12 on 6/6/25. Step 2: Maintenance Director completed house audit to ensure that all resident doors latched properly when closed on 6/6/25, with no negative findings. Step 3: LNHA educated Director of Maintenance on corridor doors and safety to ensure proper functioning when closed on 7/15/25. Step 4: NHA/designee will audit corridor room doors to ensure ongoing compliance weekly x4 then monthly x2. The results of the audits will be submitted to the QAPI Committee for further review and recommendations. --- K0372 Urbana Health and Rehab wishes to point out to any person who reviews this document that we do not necessarily agree with the citations with which we were cited. However, the law requires us to prepare a plan of correction for the citations regardless of whether we agree with them or not. Thus, we have prepared such a plan as noted below. Please note though, that this plan does not constitute an admission that the citations are either legally or factually correct. This plan of correction is not meant to establish any standard of care, contract, obligation, or position and Urbana Health and Rehab reserves all rights to raise all possible contentions and defenses in any civil or criminal action or proceeding. Please accept 07/30/25 as the facility's allegation of compliance date. The facility failed to ensure smoke barrier in Rm #B9 would resist passage of smoke. Step 1: Penetrations in Rm#B9 were sealed to resist passage of smoke to prevent passage of smoke creating a sealed/contained smoke compartment on 6/6/25. Step 2: All resident rooms audited for penetrations by 7/15/25. Step 3: Maintenance Director educated by LNHA on the smoke barrier function of the ceiling and maintaining the integrity of the ceiling on 7/15/25. Step 4: To monitor and maintain compliance, LNHA/designee will audit smoke barriers for compliance weekly for X4, then monthly X2. Results of the audits will be forwarded to the facility QAPI committee for further review and recommendation.
Noncompliant Corridor Door Hold-Open Device
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that all corridor doors were able to resist the passage of smoke and were provided with a suitable means for keeping the doors closed, as required by NFPA 101-2012 and NFPA 80-2010 standards. During a facility tour, surveyors observed a 20-minute fire-rated double-corridor door being held open by an unapproved chain with a magnet attached. This setup was not compliant with regulations, as the magnet on the chain could interfere with the door's latching mechanism and was not an approved device for holding the door open. The magnet, when the door closed, would swing on its chain and potentially interfere with the door's ability to latch properly. This deficiency was confirmed through interviews with the Regional Maintenance Director and the Maintenance Director, who acknowledged the findings at the time of observation. The improper use of the chain and magnet did not meet the requirement for corridor doors to have positive latching hardware and to resist the passage of smoke. The report specifies that this deficiency had the potential to affect 13 out of 39 residents in the facility. No additional details about the specific residents or their medical conditions were provided in the report. The deficiency was limited to the improper securing of a fire-rated corridor door, which did not comply with the required fire and smoke protection standards.
Plan Of Correction
Tag: K 0363 Chain and magnet on double corridor door modified to keep from impeding closure on 6/20/25. No other fire rated or smoke barrier doors found to be impeded from closing appropriately. Administrator educated maintenance director on NFPA 101 corridor doors on 6/16/25. Maintenance director or designee will audit all corridor doors weekly x 4 weeks. Audit results will be submitted to the QAPI committee for review and recommendations.
Trusted data from CMS and state health departments
Every citation, penalty and Plan of Correction is sourced from public CMS records (latest release May 27, 2026) and official state health department websites — never guesswork.
Trusted by long-term care providers and associations.
