Safety, Codes and Standards: Fire Prevention, Equipment Rules and Regulation
This domain tests whether you know which standard governs what, and whether you can apply fire-safety and pressure-vessel rules under exam pressure. Stems often describe a violation or a near-miss and ask for the correct action.
The governing documents
- NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code, Chapter 14 (Hyperbaric Facilities): the operational safety standard - chamber classification (Class A and B multiplace, Class C monoplace), oxygen concentration limits, ventilation, electrical and static requirements, fire protection and emergency procedures.
- ASME PVHO-1: pressure vessels for human occupancy - design, fabrication, marking and inspection.
- ASME PVHO-2: acrylic windows, including service-life determination and replacement criteria.
- US Navy Diving Manual: source of the treatment tables (5, 6, 6A, 4, 3, 7, 8, 9) and their extension rules.
- Facility accreditation through the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society; commercial diving falls under OSHA 29 CFR 1910 Subpart T and USCG 46 CFR requirements.
Fire safety: the core of the domain
- Chamber atmosphere must stay at or below 23.5% oxygen by volume; monitor with an analyzer and ventilate to control accumulation from hood exhaust and leakage.
- Eliminate ignition sources: no lighters, no smoking or vaping, no battery-powered devices, no unapproved electronics.
- Control fuels and static: no petroleum lubricants or grease, oxygen-compatible seals only, 100% cotton garments, no wool or synthetics, grounding and conductive flooring, no loose items that can strike.
- Fire response: shut off oxygen supply, activate water deluge, perform a controlled decompression, evacuate, and account for all occupants.
Worked example
Mid-treatment in a multiplace chamber the atmosphere analyzer reads 24.2% oxygen. Reasoning: exhaled or leaking oxygen from a hood or mask has accumulated. Action: increase chamber ventilation, check hood seals and exhaust routing, extend or add air breaks as needed, continue to monitor, and document the reading and the corrective action. Do not simply silence the alarm.
Traps
- Confusing the pressure-vessel standard (PVHO-1) with the facility operations standard (NFPA 99).
- Allowing a patient to keep a phone or hearing-aid battery inside "because it is small".
- Assuming air breaks are only about patient toxicity - they also limit chamber oxygen buildup.
- Treating inspection, drill and documentation requirements as paperwork rather than as cited survey items.