Risk Category for Ambulatory Care Facility

[100eyeballs]

According to Table 1064.5 Risk Categories, which category does a Business use, Ambulatory Care Facility (422) with surgery and patients incapable of self-preservation, fall in? It looks to me like category II since this is not I-2 and does not provide a benefit to the population as a whole outside of its own building.

I'm just hung up on the line in Risk Category III that stats the building "represents a substantial hazard to human life in the event of failure" - which would be true of the building's own occupants, but not occupants outside the building.

Also - If a building is particular category in a flood hazard area, does the Risk Classification apply to the entire building? More directly, if the Surgery center is on the 2nd floor does that count to be above the flood level or does it apply to the entire structure regardless of interior arrangement?

 

[cda]

table 1604.5

looks like you are not above a two

Occupancy Category II: Occupancy Category II buildings represent a lesser hazard to life because of fewer building occupants and smaller building size compared to those that are considered Occupancy Category III. Since Occupancy Categories III and IV represent buildings with higher risk or essential facilities, on a relative scale Occupancy Category II can be thought of as a "standard occupancy" building as evidenced by importance factors for earthquake, snow and wind that are all equal to 1.

Occupancy Category I: Occupancy Category I buildings exhibit the lowest hazard to life since they have little or no human occupants or, for those that are temporary, the exposure to the hazards of earthquakes, floods, snow and wind would be considerably less than that of a permanent structure. Note that this category includes "minor storage facilities," but the code does not provide an explanation of which storage facilities could be considered minor.

 

[100eyeballs]

I'm not so sure after reading the commentary. In Risk Category III it says "includes uses where the occupant's ability to respond to an emergency is restricted or otherwise impaired, such as in nursing homes housing patients that require skilled nursing care." So a Surgery Center where patients are incapable of self preservation sounds like the occupants ability to respond is impaired when they are under anesthesia. Looks likes III to me.

 

[JBI]

How many occupants? That is really what would differentiate... Are we talking 20 patients or 300?

 

[100eyeballs]

We're probably talking more in the neighborhood of 20, but who determines that 19 lives are Category II and 48 lives are Category III? Is there a chart somewhere that provides a differentiation between 20 and 300?

 

[cda]

I'm not so sure after reading the commentary. In Risk Category III it says "includes uses where the occupant's ability to respond to an emergency is restricted or otherwise impaired, such as in nursing homes housing patients that require skilled nursing care." So a Surgery Center where patients are incapable of self preservation sounds like the occupants ability to respond is impaired when they are under anesthesia. Looks likes III to me.

III appears based on actual occupancy type and/or occupant load

You seem to be dealing with a "B"

 

[mtlogcabin]

Agree with cda. An ambulatory facility is a "B" occupancy group and a Risk Catagory II

AMBULATORY CARE FACILITY. Buildings or portions thereof used to provide medical, surgical, psychiatric, nursing or similar care on a less-than-24-hour basis to persons who are rendered incapable of self-preservation by the services provided.

 

[mtlogcabin]

I'm not so sure after reading the commentary. In Risk Category III it says "includes uses where the occupant's ability to respond to an emergency is restricted or otherwise impaired, such as in nursing homes housing patients that require skilled nursing care." So a Surgery Center where patients are incapable of self preservation sounds like the occupants ability to respond is impaired when they are under anesthesia. Looks likes III to me.

The ability to respond has been addressed in other areas of the code. A nursing home is 24 hour care an ambulatory facility is less than 24 hour care

914.11 Ambulatory care facilities.

Occupancies classified as ambulatory care facilities shall comply with Sections 914.11.1 through 914.11.3.

914.11.1 Automatic sprinkler systems.

An automatic sprinkler system shall be provided for ambulatory care facilities in accordance with Section 903.2.2.

914.11.2 Manual fire alarm systems.

A manual fire alarm system shall be provided for ambulatory care facilities in accordance with Section 907.2.2.

914.11.3 Fire alarm systems.

An automatic smoke detection system shall be provided for ambulatory care facilities in accordance with Section 907.2.2.1.

The Risk Category has nothing to do with egress, It has everything to do with the structure being able to withstand natural disasters.

RISK CATEGORY. A categorization of buildings and other structures for determination of flood, wind, snow, ice and earthquake loads based on the risk associated with unacceptable performance.