by Brianna Crandall — May 14, 2014—A new edition of important guidelines for the design and construction of hospitals and other healthcare facilities is now available and includes a number of major changes from the previous edition of this industry standard developed by the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI).
Updated every four years, the FGI Guidelines is used in the regulation of healthcare facility design and construction by more than 42 states and several federal agencies, says the organization. The 2014 edition of the FGI Guidelines includes the following changes from the 2010 Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities:
- The content of the 2010 edition has been divided into two independent standards. Published in March was the Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospitals and Outpatient Facilities, which offers new chapters on children’s hospitals, critical access hospitals, and dental facilities. Details on updated and new requirements can be found on the FGI Web site.
- Standards for the design and construction of residential care facilities have been moved to a new document, the Guidelines for Design and Construction of Residential Health Care and Support Facilities (to be issued in May). This change reflects the shift in the long-term care industry from providing services in a more clinical environment to providing care in a home-like environment.
- The safety risk assessment was expanded in both Guidelines documents to help designers and owners mitigate hazards in the healthcare built environment.
- The entire newly introduced 2013 edition of ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170: Ventilation of Health Care Facilities is incorporated into both 2014 Guidelines standards.
Order information for the 2014 Guidelines documents can be found on the FGI Store Web site.
