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Waiting room protection hinges on whether there’s a door

Hospital Safety Connection, July 14, 2004

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It's common for healthcare facilities to provide waiting rooms that people can find off of corridors.

So does this setup mean that these rooms need to comply with the applicable exceptions under paragraph 19.3.6.1 in the Life Safety Code (LSC)?

The answer depends on separations. As long as a door separates the waiting room from the corridor-and the door complies with the related requirements in 19.3.6.3-then the LSC considers the waiting area separated from the corridor.

In that case, the room doesn't need to comply with 19.3.6.1-in other words, treat the waiting area like any other room.

The exceptions listed under 19.3.6.1 only apply when a waiting room is "open to the corridor," meaning there is no wall or door that sets the room apart from the hallway. If a waiting room is to remain open to the corridor and stay within the LSC's good graces, the arrangement must comply with exceptions 1, 2, 6, or 7 under 19.3.6.1.

Sometimes people focus too much on exceptions 2 and 7, which specifically discuss waiting rooms, and ignore other potential options.
For example, exceptions 1 and 6 may help you, because they allow waiting rooms larger than those permitted by exceptions 2 and 7. The LSC allows this increased size because the level of protection also increases for larger spaces.

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