Section 312A — REMOVAL OF HOSPITAL SPC AND FREESTANDING BUILDINGS FROM GENERAL ACUTE CARE SERVICE

The provisions of this section shall apply when hospital SPC or freestanding buildings are being removed from general acute care service, including when freestanding buildings are removed from OSHPD jurisdiction. Removal of these buildings shall satisfy the requirements of this section and the California Building Standards Code. OSHPD approval of construction documents and a building permit are required for removal.

312A.1.1 Buildings without approved extensions. An SPC-1 hospital building without an approved delay in compliance require- ments in accordance with the California Administrative Code (CAC) Chapter 6 Section 1.5.2 or past the extension date granted in accordance with the CAC Chapter 6 Section 1.5.2 shall not be issued a building permit until a project to remove the subject SPC-1 building from general acute care services has been approved, permitted and closed in compliance by the Office.

Exception: Building permits for seismic compliance, maintenance and repair shall be permitted to be issued.

BUILDING. The area included within surrounding exterior walls or any combination of exterior walls and fire walls (as described in Cali- fornia Building Code Sections 202 and 706) exclusive of vent shafts and courts. Areas of the building not provided with surrounding walls shall be included in the building area if such areas are included within the horizontal projection of the roof or floor above. A building may consist of one or more adjacent SPC buildings.

GENERAL ACUTE CARE SERVICE. Means basic and supplemental services, as defined in California Building Code Section 1224.3, provided in a general acute care building, as defined in California Building Code Section 202 and the California Administrative Code, Chapter 6, Section 1.2.

STRUCTURAL SEPARATION. Means a building separation in accordance with the California Building Code.

In order to establish that one or more SPC buildings are eligible for removal from general acute care service, the hospital owner shall submit construction documents showing that after the SPC buildings are removed from general acute care service:

1. All basic acute care services or supplemental services on the hospital’s license are provided in SPC buildings satisfying the requirements for SPC-2, SPC-3, SPC-4, SPC-4D or SPC-5.

Exception: If the hospital includes SPC-1 buildings that are not being removed from general acute care service, and these SPC- 1 buildings have an approved extension to the SPC-2 deadline, basic acute care services or supplemental services on the hospi- tal’s license are permitted to remain in these SPC buildings for the duration of their extension or until these SPC-1 buildings are removed from general acute care service, whichever comes first.

2. All basic acute care services or supplemental services on the hospital’s license are provided in SPC buildings satisfying the requirements for NPC-3, NPC-4/NPC-4D or NPC-5.

Exception: Services shall be permitted to be located in SPC buildings satisfying the requirements of NPC-2 if the SPC buildings have an approved extension to NPC-3 deadline.

3. The hospital complies with all egress requirements, including occupant load, number of required exits and travel distance to exits, and provides evidence that no egress from any acute care hospital building passes through the SPC buildings removed from general acute care service, SPC-1 buildings, or through buildings not under OSHPD jurisdiction.

Exceptions:

1. If the SPC building has an approved extension to the SPC-2 deadline, existing egress through the SPC-1 building shall be permitted for the duration of the extension or until the SPC-1 building is removed from general acute care service, which- ever comes first.

2. When permitted by Section 311A.1.1.1.6.

4. No SPC building removed from general acute care service is used as a smoke compartment for any acute care hospital build- ing. Buildings not under OSHPD jurisdiction shall not be used as a smoke compartment for any acute care hospital building.

3A-12 2025 CALIFORNIA EXISTING BUILDING CODE

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5. Structural separation shall satisfy the requirements of the California Building Standards Code and fire walls shall be constructed in accordance with the California Building Code, Section 706.

Exception: A fire barrier constructed in accordance with the California Building Code, Section 707, and an SPC seismic separa- tion in accordance with the California Administrative Code, Chapter 6, Section 3.4 shall be deemed to satisfy the building structural/seismic separation requirement in this section for SPC buildings that will remain under OSHPD jurisdiction.

6. If the SPC building removed from general acute care service shares a common fire alarm system with the acute care hospital, the main fire alarm control panel shall be located in an acute care hospital building. The SPC building removed from general acute care service shall be in a separate zone monitored by the main fire alarm control panel. Flexible connections shall be provided for conduits/conductors crossing structural or SPC seismic separation joints. If the intent is to place the SPC building under local jurisdiction, the building shall satisfy Section 312A.5.1.

Exception: Flexible connections for fire alarm conduits/conductors crossing seismic separation joints between an SPC building removed from general acute care service and adjacent SPC-1 or SPC-2 buildings may be omitted, provided the fire alarm in the adjacent SPC-1 and SPC-2 buildings have no connection to any SPC-3, SPC-4, SPC-4D and SPC-5 buildings providing general acute care service.

7. If the SPC building removed from general acute care service shares the fire sprinkler system with the acute care hospital, an isolation valve with a tamper switch shall be provided to isolate the portion of the system serving the SPC building removed from acute care service. Flexible connections shall be provided in piping that crosses structural or SPC seismic separation joints. The fire sprinkler system shall not originate in the SPC building removed from general acute care service. If the intent is to place the building under local jurisdiction, the building shall satisfy Section 312A.5.1.

Exception: Flexible connections for seismic separation joints and fail safe shutoff valves, and disconnects for utilities between an SPC building removed from general acute care service and adjacent SPC-1 or SPC-2 buildings may be omitted, provided util- ities in the adjacent SPC-1 and SPC-2 buildings have no connection to any SPC-3, SPC-4, SPC-4D and SPC-5 buildings providing general acute care service.

8. Patient access as required by California Building Code Section 1224.4.7.5 does not pass through an SPC building removed from general acute care service or through buildings that are not under the jurisdiction of OSHPD.

9. The primary accessible entrance to the hospital is not through an SPC building removed from general acute care service or through buildings that are not under the jurisdiction of OSHPD.

10. No utilities servicing acute care hospital buildings originate in or pass through, over or under, an SPC building removed from general acute care service, except as permitted by Section 310A.1.1.1.5, or a building not under OSHPD jurisdiction.

11. If utilities originating in an acute care hospital building feed an SPC building removed from general acute care hospital service, fail safe shutoff valves and/or disconnects shall be provided that permit isolation of the SPC building removed from general acute care service from the hospital utilities. Flexible connections shall be provided for all utilities crossing structural or SPC seismic separation joints.

ing in an acute care hospital building feed an SPC building removed from general acute care hospital service,_ fail safe shutoff valves and/or disconnects shall be provided that permit isolation of the SPC building removed from general acute care service from the hospital utilities. Flexible connections shall be provided for all utilities crossing structural or SPC seismic separation joints.

Exception: Flexible connections for seismic separation joints and fail safe shutoff valves, and disconnects for utilities between an SPC building removed from general acute care service and adjacent SPC-1 or SPC-2 buildings may be omitted, provided util- ities in the adjacent SPC-1 and SPC-2 buildings have no connection to any SPC-3, SPC-4, SPC-4D and SPC-5 buildings providing general acute care service.

SPC and freestanding buildings removed from acute care service while remain- ing under the jurisdiction of OSHPD shall be subject to the provisions of Section 312.3.

Except as provided by Section 312A.5.3, at the hospital’s discretion, a building removed from general acute care service shall be permitted to be placed under the jurisdiction of the local enforcement agency. To be eligible for a change in jurisdiction, the building removed from general acute care service shall satisfy the requirements of Section 312A.5.1.

312A.5.1 Eligibility for change in jurisdiction. For a building removed from general acute care service to be eligible for a change in jurisdiction to the local enforcing agency, all the following criteria shall be satisfied:

a. The building removed from general acute care service shall be freestanding, as defined in the California Administrative Code, Section 7-111.

b. Any hospital support services located in the building removed from general acute care service, including administrative services, central sterile supply, storage, morgue and autopsy, employee dressing rooms and lockers, janitorial and house- keeping service, and laundry, shall be in excess of the minimum requirements for licensure and operation. Prior approval by the California Department of Public Health shall be obtained by hospital to locate these services in the building removed from general acute care service.

c. Services/systems and utilities (e.g., power, emergency power, communication/data/nurse-call systems, space-heating systems, fire alarm system, fire-sprinkler system, medical gas & plumbing systems) shall be separate and independent from those serving any buildings under OSHPD jurisdiction.

d. If the building being transferred to the jurisdiction of the local enforcing agency is adjacent to a building under OSHPD juris- diction and fire-resistive construction separations are required, they shall be located in the building under OSHPD jurisdiction.

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312A.5.2 Modification of b uildings removed from OSHPD jurisdiction. The owner of the building shall be responsible for bringing the building into compliance with all requirements of the new authority having jurisdiction. If a building requires modification to become eligible for removal from OSHPD jurisdiction, the construction project shall be closed with compliance by OSHPD prior to the change in jurisdiction. All occupancy separation, set-back and allowable area requirements shall be enforced.

nsible for bringing_ the building into compliance with all requirements of the new authority having jurisdiction. If a building requires modification to become eligible for removal from OSHPD jurisdiction, the construction project shall be closed with compliance by OSHPD prior to the change in jurisdiction. All occupancy separation, set-back and allowable area requirements shall be enforced.

312A.5.3 Buildings not eligible for change in jurisdiction. The following freestanding buildings shall remain under OSHPD jurisdiction: a. Any building in which basic and/or supplementary services are provided for a general acute care hospital, acute psychiatric hospital and general acute care hospital providing only acute medical rehabilitation center services. b. Any building which provides required patient access, egress or smoke compartment for a Building under OSHPD’s jurisdiction. c. Any building in which services under OSHPD jurisdiction are provided, including skilled nursing services, intermediate care services, acute psychiatric services and distinct part skilled nursing or intermediate care services. d. Any building providing central plant or utility services to a building under OSHPD jurisdiction. e. Any building through which utilities pass through, over or under, to serve a building under OSHPD jurisdiction.

Vacated spaces intended to remain vacant while under the jurisdiction of OSHPD shall be subject to the provi- sions of Section 312.3.5.

Demolition of SPC buildings to be removed from general acute care services shall be permitted when buildings remaining under OSHPD’s jurisdiction, after demolition, satisfy the requirements of the California Building Standards Code and demoli- tion activity does not impair the operation and/or safety of any buildings that remain under the OSHPD’s jurisdiction. Demolition shall be in accordance with California Building Code Section 3303.