ASHE Maintenance and Operations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which maintenance strategy involves replacing components at fixed time intervals regardless of their condition?
- Predictive maintenance
- Corrective maintenance
- Preventive maintenance (Correct answer)
- Condition-based maintenance
Correct answer: Preventive maintenance
Preventive maintenance schedules replacements and inspections at predetermined intervals to prevent failures before they occur.
Question 2: A healthcare facility's emergency generator fails to start during a utility outage. What is the maximum allowable transfer time to emergency power under NFPA 99?
- 5 seconds
- 10 seconds (Correct answer)
- 15 seconds
- 30 seconds
Correct answer: 10 seconds
NFPA 99 requires that the essential electrical system transfer to emergency power within 10 seconds of a normal power failure.
Question 3: What does the term 'Mean Time Between Failures' (MTBF) measure?
- Average repair time for failed equipment
- Average operational time between equipment failures (Correct answer)
- Total downtime over a calendar year
- Cost per failure incident
Correct answer: Average operational time between equipment failures
MTBF is a reliability metric representing the average time a repairable item operates between failures.
Question 4: Which standard governs the testing frequency of fire dampers in healthcare facilities?
- NFPA 80 (Correct answer)
- NFPA 90A
- The Joint Commission EC standards
- ASHRAE 62.1
Correct answer: NFPA 80
NFPA 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives, specifies that fire dampers be tested every 4 years (6 years for hospitals).
Question 5: In a hospital, who is typically responsible for coordinating the Interim Life Safety Measures (ILSMs) during construction?
- The general contractor
- The infection control officer
- The Environment of Care committee (Correct answer)
- The local fire marshal
Correct answer: The Environment of Care committee
The Environment of Care (EOC) committee oversees ILSM implementation and documentation during construction activities that affect life safety.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) in healthcare facilities?
- To automate purchasing of spare parts
- To track and schedule maintenance work orders and equipment history (Correct answer)
- To monitor real-time energy consumption
- To manage contractor compliance documentation
Correct answer: To track and schedule maintenance work orders and equipment history
A CMMS centralizes maintenance scheduling, work order tracking, and equipment history to improve operational efficiency and regulatory compliance.
Question 7: A hospital boiler operating at high pressure requires a pressure relief valve. According to ASME standards, how often must this valve be tested?
- Monthly
- Quarterly
- Annually (Correct answer)
- Every 5 years
Correct answer: Annually
ASME and most state boiler codes require pressure relief valves on high-pressure boilers to be tested at least annually to ensure proper operation.
ASHE Maintenance and Operations 2
Which maintenance strategy involves replacing components at fixed time intervals regardless of their condition?