Safety Director, Hyperbaric Safety Director, or Hyperbaric Safety Coordinator – is there a difference?
When the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) published the NFPA 99 Health Care Facilities Code 2024 (2023), the designation of Safety Director received two significant updates from prior editions – the addition of "Hyperbaric" and replacing of "Director" with "Coordinator" (NFPA.org).
In NFPA 99 before the 2024 edition, the term Safety Director, used in Chapter 14 – Hyperbaric Facilities, was not consistently preceded by the descriptor "Hyperbaric," meaning that some responsibilities were explicitly assigned to a Safety Director and others to a Hyperbaric Safety Director. It is logical for those in the hyperbaric industry to understand that "hyperbaric" was implied, but not everyone who looks at fire codes would have the same understanding. For example, a hospital-accrediting organization, a hospital's Safety Director, or a Fire Marshal may interrupt the Safety Director to mean the hospital's Safety Director. Therefore, the first change was the addition of "hyperbaric" before each place the term Safety (Director) Coordinator was utilized.
This brings us to the second change – replacing "Director" with "Coordinator." The NFPA Technical Committee on Hyperbaric and Hypobaric Facilities substantiation statement for this change states: The titles "director" and "supervisor" are not appropriate for this position. This person coordinates the facility's safe operation rather than overall management, as implied by the terms "director" or "supervisor."
It is essential to understand that these changes do not mean you must change your title if your job description, employer identification badge, or designation letter has titled you "Safety Director" or "Hyperbaric Safety Director." For confirmation, we will examine what the code states.
From a code perspective, why do we have Hyperbaric Safety Coordinators? Simple – NFPA 99 (2023), section 14.3.1.3.2* states, "For each hyperbaric facility, a hyperbaric safety coordinator shall be designated as responsible for all hyperbaric equipment and the operational safety requirements of this chapter."
Notice the asterisk (*) at the end of the section number. When reading NFPA 99 fire codes, the asterisk indicates that descriptive material can be found in Annex A of the code book. To fully understand the Technical Committee's intent for a person assigned hyperbaric safety responsibilities, we must read the corresponding note in Annex A, which is section A.14.3.1.3.2, and by looking at the annex note, we will answer the question of this article: Safety Director, Hyperbaric Safety Director, or Hyperbaric Safety Coordinator – is there a difference?
Since the annex note is five paragraphs long, for context, let's only look at the passage referencing the hyperbaric safety professional's title: "Regardless of the terminology used for this designee, the intent is for someone to manage the operational responsibilities of this chapter." This annex note says the person's title is not the critical element; instead, assigning responsibilities per Chapter 14 is essential.
If staff report directly to the hyperbaric safety professional at your facility, then perhaps the title of Hyperbaric Safety Director is appropriate. Without direct reports, the term Coordinator may be a proper title. Is it wrong to use the title Lead Hyperbaric Technologist? Not if the responsibilities written in NFPA 99 (Chapter 14) are assigned to said person.
When reading NFPA 99, remember that the code is enforceable material, and the annex notes are explanatory comments by the Technical Committee. Please read the annex notes to understand the Technical Committee's intent better.
Hyperbaric Safety Coordinator is used 24 times in NFPA 99 (Chapter 14) (2023). If you are this or employ this person, now is an excellent time to review your designation letter or job description to ensure the safety responsibilities are clearly indicated. Should you need to see the latest edition of the hyperbaric facility codes, NFPA provides a no-cost view option at NFPA.org.
Disclaimer: The author's opinions in this article are his own and do not constitute a formal interpretation of NFPA fire codes.
About the Author: Richard C. Barry, PhD, STS, CHT-ADMIN, is the Vice President of Hyperbarics for Healogics, LLC. He is an active member of the UHMS Safety Committee, ASTM's G04 Committee, NBDHMT Board of Directors, chair of NFPA 53, and the past chair of NFPA 99's Hyperbaric Technical Committee. Dr. Barry's PhD is in Safety Sciences from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
References:
NFPA 99. (2023). NFPA 99 Health care facilities code (2024 ed.). National Fire Protection Association.
NFPA.org. (2024). First Revision No. 989-NFPA 99-2021 [Global Input]. Retrieved from npfa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-99-standard-development/99.
To serve as a reminder,
***The UHMS HBO2 Safety Committee can provide information to help you answer your question. Still, the ultimate responsibility for these questions rests with your facility's Hyperbaric Medical Director (HMD) and Hyperbaric Safety Director/Coordinator (HSD/C).
***This assessment is the opinion of the Hyperbaric Safety Committee and does not constitute product approval. We suggest that the HMD and HSD/C of your facility perform a risk assessment and document your conclusions before treating the patient.