TJC recently finalized the January 1, 2018 changes within its online Hospital Accreditation Standards Environment of Care (EC) and Life Safety (LS) chapters. With a few exceptions, those changes were driven by the CMS September 2016 publication of the NFPA 101-2012 and NFPA 99-2012 K-Tags according to previous TJC announcements. This article discusses the major […]
Perhaps the future of gathering information about projects is in the air. SSR is testing that theory. Drones came into the public consciousness a few years ago, mostly as novelty holiday gifts. The new age alternative to remote-controlled airplanes, drones offered something additional — they could hover and they included ample space to mount a […]
The November issue of Consulting-Specifying Engineer featured an article by SSR colleagues Tom Divine and Wil Semien. “NFPA 20: Changes to the fire pump standard” explores changes to the standard that fire protection engineers need to be aware of. Learning objectives of the article include: 1. Know the basics of NFPA 20: Standard for the […]
TJC recently published the January 1, 2018 changes to its online Hospital Accreditation Standards Environment of Care (EC) and Life Safety (LS) chapters. With a few exceptions, those changes were driven by the CMS September 2016 publication of the NFPA 101-2012 and NFPA 99-2012 K-Tags according to previous TJC announcements. This article discusses only the […]
Owners of sports and entertainment venues and design firms have long been focused on innovative design, comfort of their patrons, and facility performance. Over the past several years, the focus has shifted to include sustainability as a primary objective. As high-profile entertainment venues, sports facilities are in a unique position to showcase facility performance and […]
The CMS Emergency Preparedness Final Rule (CMS EPFR) took effect on November 16, 2016, and compliance is expected by CMS starting November 16, 2017. Per the handout for CMS’ April 27, 2017 webinar, the new CMS-required all hazards approach “is an integrated approach to emergency preparedness planning that focuses on capacities and capabilities that are […]
With advanced technology being utilized in every corner of the hospital, early planning and end-user input continues to gain importance with regard to its integration during construction. Due to its complexity and the interdependence of dozens of systems and components, technology integration requires a thoughtfully developed and carefully executed strategy. Technology planning that is too late […]
The 2016 drought in Tennessee garnered most attention for its relevance to the catastrophic wildfires that destroyed parts of Gatlinburg and the Great Smokey Mountains in late November. Lesser known is the impact that the drought had on water systems in southeast Tennessee. Although subsequent rains wiped out the worst of the drought conditions, they […]
In the July issue of Plumbing Engineer, SSR senior plumbing designer Larry Rains, CPD, explains a new plumbing design nicknamed Jump Routing. Jump Routing allows the hot water to be routed from one fixture to the next with right angles, avoiding routing down corridors to match the cold-water standard installation. This technique allows for hot […]
When changing from one event to another, building pressure and air flow can be a major concern for venue operations. Not only can they affect energy efficiency, a major concern for many owners, they can also affect air quality in the building, and, by extension, both patron experience and the event itself. In 2016, SSR […]
Healthcare organizations are expected to provide safe and reliable health care to their patients. Planning appropriate response and recovery activities for a failure of the facility’s utility systems is essential to satisfy this expectation. These systems constitute the operational infrastructure that permits safe patient care to be performed. Some of the most important utilities include […]
The fight against Legionella bacteria within healthcare facilities has been a topic of healthcare industry discussions and concern for more than a decade. CMS substantially raised the bar in June 2017 when it issued a revised Survey & Certification Letter [S&C 17-30-Hospitals/CAHs/NHs REVISED 06.09.2017] PDF entitled “Requirement to Reduce Legionella Risk in Healthcare Facility Water […]
Healthcare HVAC systems serve many functions and are highly regulated by agencies such as the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). These functions and requirements lead mechanical systems to being among the largest portions of most healthcare facilities’ construction budgets. Many facility owners are also looking for high-performance HVAC systems that keep energy cost and […]
TJC recently published the July 1, 2017 changes to its online Hospital Accreditation Standards Environment of Care (EC) and Life Safety (LS) chapters. Published changes include some clarifications and corrections to previously-issued changes, such as EC.02.05.01 Element of Performance 6 (EP-6) regarding inspection, testing and maintenance (ITM) for non-high-risk utility system components. This change modified […]
Every building owner has to ask themselves that question. It’s inevitable and a long, hard look at the answer can sometimes be what stands between them and significant cost savings. It comes at no surprise that the biggest energy and cost drain is the HVAC system. So, the next question is then, “How much will […]
One important change in NFPA 99-2012 was the addition of Chapter 15, Features of Fire Protection. Within that chapter is a new Section 15.13, entitled Fire Loss Prevention in Operating Rooms. Subsection 15.13.1, Hazard Assessment, requires an evaluation of FIRE hazards that could be encountered during surgical procedures, including “hazards associated with the properties of […]
During his late afternoon March 14th session at the just-completed 2017 ASHE PDC Conference in Orlando, TJC speaker George Mills (Director of TJC’s Department of Engineering) announced upcoming additions and changes that will supplement the newly-released January 7th Elements of Performance (EPs) and the already-pending July 1st EP changes. Mr. Mills stated that the required […]
Every year, when Health Facilities Management and the American Society for Healthcare Engineering of the American Hospital Association release their Hospital Construction Survey results, I am always intrigued about what it will reveal. The 2017 report is out, and I’m happy to see the connection between designing healthcare facilities and the clinical workflow highlighted. Hospitals […]
Building enclosure (or envelope) commissioning (BECx) is a process by which the performance of a facility is evaluated and verified against the specific quality requirements of the owner. The commissioning team in charge of BECx is involved throughout the entire project, from the pre-design phase through the operations and maintenance phase. From the start, the […]
CMS has published the long-awaited K-Tags that reflect the adoption of the 2012 codes (NFPA 101-2012® Life Safety Code® and NFPA 99-2012 Health Care Facilities Code). Note that both of these codes also invoke many other NFPA codes and standards that can be between 10- and 15 years newer than the previously-enforced editions. K-Tags are […]
Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. is proud to yet again be a Silver Sponsor of CxEnergy 2017 Conference & Expo, the premier event in building commissioning and energy management. This year’s event will take place April 24-27 in Orlando, FL. SSR’s Steve Harrell, CxA, along with Director Facilities Management East Region of BayCare Health System Tom Davis, […]
Many hospitals are still struggling with the AEM inclusion risk assessments required by both the CMS Survey & Certification Letter and Accrediting Organization (AO) requirements. This newsletter revisits and updates a previous discussion of AEM risk assessment requirements. TJC-accredited hospitals, for example, now face an even more important reason for having an effective AEM-inclusion risk […]
