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How-To: Manage use of magnetic locks in an emergency

Emergency Management Alert, March 6, 2007

A question addressing this topic came up recently in HCPro's Safety Talk forum. Consultant Steve MacArthur of the HCPro-affiliated Greeley Company answered this abridged version.

Q: I work in a forensic unit which employs use of magnetic locks. My understanding of the Life Safety Code (LSC) is that magnetic locks should release in the event the fire alarm goes off. What are the parameters for use of magnetic locks in a unit of this type in an emergency? I'm also wondering how the Joint Commission and an LSC survey specialist would view this situation.

A: Is the forensic unit a healthcare occupancy or could it be defined as a detention /corrections occupancy (or some combination of the two?) Though an LSC surveyor may push you on this, the Code does provide flexibility regarding the forensic population. My gut says that if the state fire marshal has not taken issue with it, even if you were to be cited during a survey, that would be the tack to take during the clarification process. It would be nice to have the state marshal's approval of the condition in writing, but that may not be actionable.

The issue is whether the process as it currently exists will provide appropriate egress to occupants in the event of a fire. The ability of staff to articulate their roles in your fire response plan is likely to be a key tipping point during survey. It sounds like you have a situation in which the person assigned to the information desk has to be on station on a constant basis, which is one of the two most risky propositions to pull off in healthcare-always and/or never.

I advise clients to avoid hanging their compliance hats on something or someone always being present or never doing the "wrong" thing. If the locking arrangement is necessary based on the threat level of the patient population, you at least have the tacit approval of (one of) the AHJ(s). So long as staff know what to do, you should be able to navigate the murky waters of the survey process. Rremember, you get to decide what works best in your house, within reason. I don't see anything unreasonable in this arrangement so long as you are well prepared.

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