Facility Design and Environment of Care
Facility Design and Environment of Care
The exam tests electrical distribution, emergency power, medical gas, HVAC, infection control, and code compliance in healthcare facilities.
Core rules
- NFPA 99 classifies electrical systems; the essential electrical system supports life-safety and critical branches.
- Generators require routine testing under load; transfer switches must be verified.
- Medical gas systems need source equipment, alarms, cross-connection prevention, and zone valves.
- Operating rooms may use isolated power with line isolation monitors; humidity and air pressure support infection control.
Worked example
An operating room loses normal power. Critical receptacles and lights should be fed by the essential branch; the generator should start and the transfer switch should operate. Verify by test, not assumption. If a critical outlet is on the normal branch, that is a design deficiency.
Traps
- Assuming all outlets are on emergency power.
- Ignoring medical gas alarm response and zone valve location.
- Overlooking humidity and pressure relationships in procedural areas.