"Is this exempt?" is the most common question we get on California healthcare anchorage projects — and almost every time, the answer is "not in a hospital." The federal ASCE 7-22 §13.1.4 exemption list looks generous, but the California Building Code (CBC) §1617A.1.18 strips most of it back inside HCAI/OSHPD facilities, and HCAI PIN 68 confirms that the de minimis carve-outs almost never survive contact with a patient care area.

This guide gives you the side-by-side checklists — what is exempt under the base code, what California removes, and the four triggers that always force anchorage. It's the reference we use on every HCAI plan check.

Where the exemptions come from

Three documents control seismic anchorage exemptions in a California hospital, and they layer on top of each other:

  1. ASCE/SEI 7-22 §13.1.4 — the national exemption list for nonstructural components (furniture, temporary equipment, mechanical & electrical components below certain weights, etc.).
  2. CBC §1617A.1.18 — the California amendment that rewrites §13.1.4 for OSHPD facilities and adds explicit "exceptions to the exemptions."
  3. HCAI/OSHPD PIN 68 — the official interpretation of §1617A.1.18, providing the 400 lb / 4 ft / patient care / egress triggers and the seven equipment classifications.

For full context on the underlying chapter, see our ASCE 7-22 Chapter 13 reference and the Chapter 13 + HCAI preapprovals overview.

Which facilities does this apply to?

CBC §1617A.1.18 and the HCAI PINs apply to facilities under HCAI's building-safety jurisdiction:

  • OSHPD 1 — General acute care hospitals.
  • OSHPD 1R — Rebuild/replacement acute care.
  • OSHPD 2 — Skilled nursing & intermediate care.
  • OSHPD 4 — Correctional treatment centers.
  • OSHPD 5 — Acute psychiatric hospitals.

OSHPD 3 (outpatient clinics) generally falls under the local AHJ and the regular CBC, not §1617A.1.18. The exemptions in this article are specifically for the five facility types above.

The ASCE 7-22 §13.1.4 exemption list (federal baseline)

Before California amendments, ASCE 7-22 §13.1.4 exempts the following from Chapter 13 force and anchorage requirements:

  • Furniture (excluding storage cabinets and bookcases over 6 ft tall).
  • Temporary or movable equipment.
  • Architectural components in SDC B (other than parapets supported by bearing walls).
  • Mechanical and electrical components in SDC B.
  • Mechanical and electrical components in SDC C with Iₚ = 1.0.
  • Discrete mechanical & electrical components in SDC D, E, or F weighing 20 lb or less (or distribution systems weighing 5 lb/ft or less) with Iₚ = 1.0 and flexible utility connections.
  • Discrete mechanical & electrical components in SDC D, E, or F weighing 400 lb or less with CG ≤ 4 ft above the adjacent floor, Iₚ = 1.0, and flexible utility connections.

What California strips back (CBC §1617A.1.18)

Inside OSHPD 1, 1R, 2, 4, and 5 facilities, §1617A.1.18 says the exemptions above do not apply when any of the following are true:

  • The equipment is located in a patient care vicinity (the area within 6 ft of a patient bed, treatment chair, exam table, etc.).
  • The equipment is in or adjacent to an egress path (corridors, exit stairs, exit discharge).
  • The equipment operating weight is greater than 400 lb.
  • The equipment center of gravity is above 4 ft from the adjacent floor.
  • The component is required for continued operation of the facility post-earthquake (Iₚ = 1.5 systems per §13.1.3).
  • The component contains or supports hazardous materials.

These are the four triggers HCAI PIN 68 codifies. If any one of them is true, the equipment is not exempt — it must be anchored or restrained per ASCE 7-22 Chapter 13 and ACI 318-19 Chapter 17.

Quick checklist: exempt vs requires anchorage

✅ Likely exempt (in a California hospital)

  • Movable furniture (chairs, side tables) outside patient care vicinities, outside egress, ≤ 400 lb, CG ≤ 4 ft, Iₚ = 1.0.
  • Truly temporary equipment present for under 30 days, outside patient care, with documented removal plan.
  • Discrete components ≤ 20 lb with flexible utility connections, outside patient care.
  • Distribution systems ≤ 5 lb/ft with flexible connections, Iₚ = 1.0, outside patient care.

❌ NOT exempt — requires anchorage / restraint

  • Anything in a patient care vicinity, regardless of weight, height, or "movable" label.
  • Anything in or adjacent to an egress path that could fall, slide, or block evacuation.
  • Any component with operating weight > 400 lb.
  • Any component with center of gravity > 4 ft.
  • Any Iₚ = 1.5 component (life-safety, continued-operation, hazardous-material containing).
  • Storage cabinets and bookcases > 6 ft tall (no exemption even outside hospitals).
  • "Mobile" equipment such as imaging carts, crash carts, infusion pumps, and ventilators when located in patient care areas — these need tethers, locking casters, docking restraints, or equivalent per PIN 68.
  • Countertop equipment in patient care or labs — adhesive pads, restraint clips, or back-of-counter brackets are required.
  • Plumbed, ducted, or hardwired equipment — the utility connection itself disqualifies the "movable" exemption.

The HCAI PIN 68 trigger table

PIN 68 organizes equipment into seven classifications (fixed, movable, mobile, countertop, other, interim, temporary) and applies the four triggers to each. The deeper walkthrough lives in our PIN 68 explained guide.

Common exemption mistakes HCAI rejects

  • "It's on wheels, so it's exempt." Mobile equipment in patient care areas is explicitly NOT exempt under PIN 68. It needs a tether, locking casters, or a restraint when parked.
  • "It's under 400 lb." Weight alone doesn't grant exemption — patient care vicinity and egress location override weight.
  • "It's furniture." The furniture exemption is stripped inside OSHPD 1, 1R, 2, 4, 5 for items in patient care, in egress, > 400 lb, or with CG > 4 ft.
  • "We'll call it temporary." Temporary status requires a documented < 30-day presence and a removal plan. Anything installed indefinitely is not temporary.
  • Citing "exempt" without a code reference. Plan reviewers want the specific ASCE 7-22 §13.1.4 item AND a confirmation that CBC §1617A.1.18 doesn't override it.

For more, see our common anchorage mistakes guide.

How exemptions interact with OSP and special seismic certification

Even if a piece of equipment is exempt from anchorage force calculations, that does not exempt it from OSP enrollment if it's on HCAI's pre-approval list, and it does not exempt an active mechanical/electrical component from AC156 special seismic certification per §13.2.2. See:

Need a sanity check on your equipment schedule?

We review HCAI/OSHPD equipment schedules for OSHPD 1, 1R, 2, 4, and 5 facilities — confirming exemption claims, calling out missing anchorage, and flagging items that need OSP enrollment or AC156 certification. If you'd like a second pair of eyes, get in touch.

Frequently asked questions

Is movable equipment on wheels exempt from seismic anchorage in California hospitals?

No. Under HCAI/OSHPD PIN 68 and CBC §1617A.1.18, mobile equipment located in a patient care vicinity, in or adjacent to an egress path, weighing more than 400 lb, or with a center of gravity above 4 ft is NOT exempt — even if it has wheels. It must be restrained with tethers, locking casters, docking stations, or equivalent restraints when parked. See the broader ASCE 7-22 Chapter 13 reference for the underlying force requirements.

Are components weighing less than 400 lb automatically exempt in OSHPD facilities?

No. The 400 lb threshold from ASCE 7-22 §13.1.4 only grants exemption when ALL conditions are met: weight ≤ 400 lb, CG ≤ 4 ft, Iₚ = 1.0, flexible utility connections, AND the component is not in a patient care vicinity or egress path. In OSHPD 1, 1R, 2, 4, and 5 facilities, location alone (patient care or egress) overrides the weight exemption — see the PIN 68 trigger walkthrough and our Chapter 13 + HCAI preapprovals overview.

Does the ASCE 7-22 furniture exemption apply inside California hospitals?

Only partially. CBC §1617A.1.18 strips the furniture exemption inside OSHPD 1, 1R, 2, 4, and 5 facilities for any item located in a patient care vicinity, in or adjacent to egress, weighing more than 400 lb, or with CG above 4 ft. Storage cabinets and bookcases over 6 ft tall are never exempt, even outside healthcare. The PIN 68 four-trigger framework is what HCAI plan reviewers apply to furniture claims.

Are temporary or interim equipment installations exempt from anchorage?

Only if they meet HCAI's strict definition of temporary — present for under 30 days with a documented removal plan and located outside patient care vicinities. Equipment installed indefinitely, even if labeled "interim," does not qualify and must be anchored or restrained per PIN 68.

Do exemptions from anchorage also exempt equipment from OSP enrollment or AC156 certification?

No. Anchorage exemption (ASCE 7-22 §13.1.4) is independent of OSP enrollment (HCAI PIN 55) and special seismic certification (ASCE 7-22 §13.2.2 / ICC-ES AC156). An item may be exempt from anchorage force calculations but still require OSP enrollment if it appears on HCAI's preapproval list, or AC156 shake-table certification if it is an active mechanical/electrical component with Iₚ = 1.5.

Do these California exemption rules apply to OSHPD 3 outpatient clinics?

Generally no. CBC §1617A.1.18 and HCAI PIN 55, PIN 62, and PIN 68 apply to OSHPD 1 acute care, OSHPD 1R rebuild, OSHPD 2 SNF, OSHPD 4 correctional treatment centers, and OSHPD 5 acute psychiatric facilities. OSHPD 3 outpatient clinics fall under the local AHJ and the standard CBC, where the base ASCE 7-22 Chapter 13 §13.1.4 exemptions apply without the California overrides.