Interim Life Safety Measures in Hospitals: Requirements & When to Implement

Interim Life Safety Measures (ILSMs) are temporary measures that hospitals can take to improve their life safety systems in response to a deficiency cited by the fire marshal or other authority having jurisdiction. Hospitals are required to use ILSMs when:

* The deficiency poses an immediate threat to the life or safety of patients, staff, or visitors.

* The hospital does not have the financial resources to immediately correct the deficiency.

* The hospital is waiting for approval of a construction project that will correct the deficiency.

ILSMs are not a permanent solution to life safety deficiencies, and hospitals must ultimately correct the deficiencies within a reasonable timeframe.