Celebrating the holidays in a health care organization can be an uplifting experience for both residents and staff. Here are some quick tips to help ensure your organization maintains a safe environment that is compliant with the Life Safety Code® this holiday season.
- Combustible decorations are only permitted if they are flame retardant or when they are in limited quantities such that the hazard of fire development and spread is not present. For example, a handful of holiday cards attached to a door can be considered a limited quantity. A door completely covered with holiday cards could be considered excessive. The Life Safety Code® includes some specific language that can help providers gauge what is permitted. Decorations should not exceed 30 percent of any wall, ceiling, and door area outside of a resident sleeping room (assuming the building is fully sprinklered). The coverage area increases to 50 percent when inside a resident sleeping room.
- Live Christmas trees are not permitted. Living trees in a balled condition with their roots protected in soil shall be permitted if they are maintained in a fresh condition and not allowed to become dry. Live wreaths inside the building are generally frowned upon, as they are prone to dry out quickly and could quickly become a hazard.
- Artificial Christmas trees are only permitted if they are labeled or identified as “flame retardant” or “flame resistive”. There are products that can be applied to artificial trees to meet this requirement. Make sure you maintain any product documentation.
- Use only UL listed holiday lights and wiring.
- Do not visually block egress, exit signage, or any fire safety equipment with decorations. This includes fire alarm pull stations, visual fire alarm notification devices and fire extinguishers.
- Do not hang decorations from sprinkler heads.
- Do not use flame-producing decorations, including candles.
- Do not use extension cords to power decorations. If utilizing a power strip, make sure it is a UL listed “Relocatable Power Tap,” also known as a UL 1363 power strip.
- Monitor decorations that are brought into the facility by residents, families, and friends. Any electronics brought into the facility should go through the normal inspection process as outlined in the organization’s policy on non-patient care-related electrical equipment. Such items must either have a grounding conductor or be labeled as double insulated.
Managing decorations to these requirements and best practices should mitigate the safety concerns and hazards often associated with decorating the building for the holidays. If you have a unique situation or specific question, you can email AHCA at emergencyprep@ahca.org.