EK Life Safety can assist you by reviewing your plans for new construction or remodeling projects. This service is most effectively performed when the project is at the Design and Development stage. Since all or most systems have been specified at this stage, we review all relevant assemblies (e.g. smoke barrier, rated firewalls), mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, alarm and sprinkler systems. In addition we will examine functional areas such as resident rooms, bathrooms, shower rooms, kitchen and pantry area, dining area, laundry area, corridors and external walkways and provide an assessment of compliance with Life Safety Code and state licensing requirements.

This service is available to clients after construction has started. For this service to be most efficient and cost effective, we strongly recommend our involvement at approximately the 50% stage of completion. We define this stage as the point in which smoke barriers are constructed and sprinkler system piping has been installed but prior to the stage where sheet rock is installed. (Junction boxes for fire alarm systems may be completed, as well).

EK Life Safety will conduct a comprehensive and thorough inspection of the entire facility and provide an assessment of compliance with Life Safety Code.

We also offer shorter, periodic reviews for Life Safety and licensing compliance as construction moves forward. This type of ongoing review typically results in substantial cost savings to our customers by avoiding costly oversights and extensive project revisions.

We conduct complete inspections as systems are installed and offer a professional opinion from a former surveyor’s perspective.

For example, we:

If you are considering converting an existing structure to a licensed healthcare facility, this service is invaluable. We conduct a comprehensive inspection of the facility and provide a written analysis of the practicality of transforming the facility to a licensed health care property.

We document structural issues and identify the construction requirements necessary for the property to meet Life Safety standards.

This service saves our clients significant time, money and headaches by preparing health care facilities for Life Safety surveys. Our highly qualified team will perform a very comprehensive and detailed examination of your building and document potential deficiencies that are likely to be cited by state or federal surveyors. Our inspection is more detailed and thorough than the most demanding surveyor.

This service gives our clients the opportunity to correct most or all of the potential deficiencies before the actual survey occurs. Often times they save money by having sufficient time to negotiate charges for services required to bring the facility into compliance.

We assist facilities in developing a plan of correction as required by the state or federal regulatory agency. We assist in accurately interpreting the cited deficiency, determining the requirements for correcting the deficiency, and consulting with our clients on the most viable and cost effective approach to resolving the citation. We also assist in writing the plan of correction in sufficient detail and format that is acceptable to the regulatory agency.

We provide support to clients who wish to dispute a cited deficiency via the agency’s resolution procedure. We assist in accurately interpreting the cited deficiency, researching and interpreting state Life Safety and NFPA 101 regulations, inspecting the facility specifically for the cited deficiency, and evaluating the likelihood of the regulatory agency’s acceptance of the client’s position. If our assessment indicates the client’s position is viable, we will assist in writing the required documentation.

EK Life Safety Staff will conduct a thorough review of your facility’s disaster plan. We evaluate the plan to ensure that all core emergency management functions are sufficiently addressed, transportation and sheltering arrangements are up-to-date and in force, plans and procedures are appropriately distributed, and staff members are knowledgeable of their roles and responsibilities in the event of an emergency.

We will assist in writing either component of the plan or the entire plan, and will consult with facility management to ensure arrangements with outside parties are in place. We will also conduct on-site exercises and evaluations of emergency procedures such as fire drills and evacuation drills.

Our experience is that numerous Life Safety compliance issues arise when our clients are building or remodeling facilities or after a survey by a regulatory agency. EK Life Safety will provide telephone consultation services on an “as needed” basis. We will research the relevant state and NFPA codes and advise our clients regarding code interpretation by surveyors. This service is provided on a retainer basis.