E-NEWS
“NFPA 99 makes a significant change from Standard to Code”
So here we are, almost 2012 and finally after 7 years of waiting, the NFPA has released the long awaited 2012 edition of the NFPA 99 Healthcare Facilities Code. Yes, you read that correctly, I said “Code” not Standard. Why is that important you ask?
A standard is typically something established by authority as a rule for, in this case, quality, whereas a code is most often than not, a system of rules that must be followed or adhered to. You may ask, is there a difference? And the answer is yes, they are extremely different.
Currently, the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code is approved as an American National Standard and references the NFPA 99. Since the Life Safety Code (NFPA 101) and the 99 (NFPA) were not published the same year, the Life Safety Code, which has been incorporated into federal law, references the 99 edition since it was published one year before the Life Safety Code. Currently the latest edition of the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code is the 2000 edition therefore the currently adopted NFPA 99 edition is the1999.
Since the 2012 NFPA 99 Healthcare Facilities Code has also been adopted as an American National Standard as of August 31st, 2011, it can be incorporated into federal law as a stand alone document. It will no longer be referenced and adopted only as a reference in the Life Safety Code. This as you can imagine would be a significant change and would require every AHJ to follow the same code nationally.
I could go on about the specific changes in the new document but my esteemed colleague, Mark Allen from BeaconMedaes has already taken the liberty of creating an excellent resource which describes the changes from the 2005 to 2012 editions of the NFPA 99. Mark currently sits on the Technical Committee on Piping Systems for the NFPA and is an expert in the field. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of “The Changes in Medical Gas and Vacuum Systems Requirements from the 2005 to 2012 Editions” please let me know.
© 2011 Medigas® Service & Testing Co. Inc. All Rights Reserved.
By:
Jay D’Agostino
Vice President of Operations
Medigas® Service & Testing Company
NITC/ASSE 6020 Medical Gas Inspector
NITC/ASSE 6030 Medical Gas Systems Verifier
MGPHO Credentialed Medical Gas Verifier CMGV No: V-137
The article and all of its contents are the opinion of the author and are not representative of any other person or organizations views or opinions.
