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Smoke Evacuation for Ambulatory Surgery Centers July 1, 2008

Part 1: Requirement and Enforcement

A ventilation system shall be provided in all anesthetizing areas per NFPA 99 that is capable of automatically venting smoke and products of combustion.This requirement is enforced by the Department of Health Service Regulation (DHSR) and the system will be tested during the final walk through by a DHSR representative.Therefore a smoke evacuation system is required for all operating rooms.

However, this requirement is not found in the North Carolina Building Code and therefore it is typically not enforced by the local building inspector.The North Carolina Building code does address smoke control systems which are required in high rises, underground facilities, enclosed parking decks, etc.Anesthetizing areas are not listed in the building code as an area that is required to have a smoke control system and therefore a smoke evacuation system is provided but not a smoke control system.Typically, the local official will not require, enforce or even test the smoke evacuation system.

The building code requirements for a smoke control system are very detailed and determining the exhaust rate alone can be difficult.Since a smoke control is not required in an anesthetizing area, the smoke control system section in the state building code is not required to be adhered to. A smoke control system will require a 1 hour rated fire command room that is not usually planned for in an ambulatory surgery space (ASC).Also, the smoke exhaust rate is usually greater with a smoke control system.

The building code does have a exception to the requirement of fire and smoke dampers in ducts that are a part of the smoke control system that penetrate rated walls.The theory behind the exception is to prevent a smoke or fire damper from closing during an emergency that could hinder the operation of the smoke control system.However, per local code officials in Mecklenburg County, the exception does not apply unless the smoke evacuation system is a required system as outlined in the North Carolina Building Code.As mentioned above, an ASC does not fall into the category of having a required smoke control system per the building code and therefore the exception was not allowed to be utilized.The local code official required smoke dampers at the rated smoke barrier wall even though there was an understanding that the ductwork was part of the smoke evacuation system that was required by NFPA 99.

When DHSR visited the site to perform their final walk-through, the question was asked why the smoke dampers were installed in ducts that were part of a smoke evacuation system.The DHSR representative did not agree with the local code officials requirement of the smoke dampers but agreed to leave the dampers in since the local authority having jurisdiction had required it.

In short, when a smoke evacuation system is to be utilized, the first step is to determine the type of system to be provided and clarify system requirements and fire and smoke damper requirements with the local building official and with DHSR to avoid any conflicts at the end of the project.

Part 2:Design and Performance

The typical method of providing a smoke evacuation system is to utilize the air handling unit that is serving the operating room.Upon a signal from the fire alarm system, the unit goes into an economizer mode and provides 100% outside air and relieves 100% of the air to the outside.The system continues to operate this way until smoke is detected in either the supply duct or the outside air duct which would shut down the supply fan while the return fan continues to operate.DHSR guidelines require any intake to be located a minimum of 30’-0” from any exhaust.Therefore, when the air handling unit is utilized as the smoke evacuation system, the outside air intake on the air handling unit must be ducted 30’-0” from the relief of the air handling unit.A dedicated exhaust fan may also be used in lieu of the air handling system.

All fan motors and controls that are part of the smoke evacuation system must be on emergency power to allow the system to operate upon a loss in power to the building.The controls must also be sequenced that activation of the emergency stop switch does not interfere with the smoke evacuation system of the air handling unit.

The design performance of a smoke evacuation system is largely up to the design engineer.Neither NFPA nor the North Carolina Building provides any guidelines for the performance of a smoke evacuation system. Therefore the amount of smoke used in a smoke test and the length of time required to adequately ventilate the room can be determined by the mechanical engineer.Our typical test requires the mechanical contractor to provide enough smoke bombs to fill the operating room with smoke based on the volume of the room.Once the smoke test has started, the smoke evacuation system or sequence should start within 30 seconds.Then 5 minutes after the start of the test; a person should be able to see an exit from any location within the operating room.

Project Management Systems July 17, 2008

Projects have been managed for, as long as there have been projects.Only till recently has project management been recognized as a science, which could be defined.Project management is a growing profession, which is quickly becoming understood and respected as a necessity in the ever-changing landscape.Much of what is accomplished in today’s world, both public and private, is project driven.Project management can be executed in a variety of industries, occupations and situations.

Understanding that project management is here to stay, there is a need for a set of requirements as they relate to a project management system.A project management system is a:

“A complex set of interconnected elements, technical and human, that organizes and interacts, both formally and informally, in order to transform resources into outputs and outcomes such that a common goal or objective is achieved. (Kerzner 2001) (Keating 2001) (SEF 2001).”

Requirements for a project management system in this instance are identified as the essential topics that should be established in a system in order to accomplish the system goal(s).In addition to the project management system requirements there is a need to understand the guiding principles of a project management system.

Projects by their nature are complex systems and can be extremely dynamic.Therefore any project management system should not be considered static, but it should be understood that the system is constantly growing and evolving. As a result of this volatility the requirements may not be neatly applied uniformly across all project management systems.Experience and practice can play a large part in the managing projects.

The establishment of a project management system provides a set of common understanding in which professionals will be able to communicate freely in a common language.It is important to note that a set of project management system requirements presented does not ensure project success.There are a variety of influences that determine project success.

Go Green with Optima! July 24, 2008

Optima Engineering is now exploring new and innovative ways to make our office environmentally friendly. Optima strives to achieve sustainable design with our projects and we see the importance of continuing past the design aspect and executing environmental efforts to reduce office waste and energy.Optima Engineering aims to reduce its carbon footprint and provide a positive example of a company that has successfully “gone green”. We would like to share several different green ideas that we plan to implement at our office during the course of the next year.Please feel free to follow the links provided for excellent ways to practice green behavior.

Research and gather information from case studies of companies that have successfully gone green.
Insist that employees turn off all electronic devices at the end of the day.To prevent phantom energy connect all of a cubicle’s devices to one power strip and turn the strip off at the end of each day. Additional Information on Phantom Energy and Prevention .
Compact florescent light bulbs save up to 75% of energy used in the office. See assortments and pricing from Optima’s primary office provider, Staples. CFL Options-Staples.
Controlled temperature at the office, keeping the thermostat at no higher than 68 degrees in the winter and no lower than 76 degrees in the summer. Distributing fans within the office helps make these temperatures comfortable for staff; fans also consume considerably less energy than air condition. Staples-Example of Energy Efficient Fan.
Integrate more eco-friendly office supplies into our daily regime such as:Recycled Paper Clips, Recycled Perforated Writing Pads, Recycled Post-It Notes, Assorted Recycled Pens, etc.
Recycle old cell phones in lieu of trashing them, by donating them to local domestic violence and homeless shelters such as Crisis Assistance Ministry and United Family Services.
Add plants and greenery to the office to absorb indoor pollutants.
Implement the recycling of plastic bottles in addition to our aluminum recycling.
In lieu of using a Fax Machine use a Fax Modem which uses Optima’s computers to transmit data. Additional Information on Fax Modems.
Encourage employees to use the Double-Sided print option when printing out lengthy documents.
Consider getting rid of paper plates and plastic stemware all together, by asking employees to donate old mismatched plates, mugs, and silverware.
Make efforts to eliminate junk mail which in turn eliminates waste. Do Not Mail List. Along with this aspect, take the time to contact publications that are sending duplicates or sending mail to employees that are no longer with Optima.

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