| (a) General. All facilities with two or more floor
levels shall have at least one electrical or electrical hydraulic
elevator. Elevators shall also give access to all building levels
normally used by the public. Escalators and conveyors are not required
but, when provided, shall comply with these requirements and the requirement
of §18-3 of the National Fire Protection Association 101, Code
for Safety to Life from Fire in Buildings and Structures, 2000 edition
(NFPA 101), published by the National Fire Protection Association.
All documents published by the NFPA as referenced in this section
may be obtained by writing or calling the NFPA at the following address
and telephone number: Post Office Box 9101, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy,
Massachusetts 02269-9101, (800) 344-3555.
(b) Requirements for new elevators, escalators, and
conveyors. New elevators, escalators and conveyors shall be installed
in accordance with the requirements of A17.1, Safety Code for Elevators
and Escalators, 1996 edition, published by the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American National Standards Institute
(ANSI). All documents published by the ASME/ANSI as referenced in
this section may be obtained by writing the ANSI, United Engineering
Center, 345 East 47th Street, New York, N.Y. 10017.
(1) Cars and doors. Cars of "hospital type" elevators
shall be at least 5 feet 8 inches wide by 8 feet, 6 inches deep. The
car door opening shall be not less than 4 feet wide and 7 feet high.
(2) Leveling. All elevators shall be equipped with
an automatic leveling device of the two-way automatic maintaining
type with an accuracy of one-half inch.
(3) Operation. All elevators, except freight elevators,
shall be equipped with a two-way service key-operated switch to permit
cars to bypass all landing button calls and be dispatched directly
to any floor.
(4) Accessibility of controls and alarms. Elevator
controls, alarm buttons, and telephones shall be accessible to wheelchair
occupants.
(5) Type of controls and alarms. Elevator call buttons,
controls, and door safety stops shall be of a type that will not be
activated by heat or smoke.
(6) Location. Conveyors, elevators, dumbwaiters,
and pneumatic conveyors serving various stories of a building shall
not open to an exit.
(7) Elevator machine rooms. Elevator machine rooms
that contain solid-state equipment for elevators having a travel distance
of more than 50 feet above the level of exit discharge or more than
30 feet below the level of exit discharge shall be provided with independent
ventilation or air conditioning systems required to maintain temperature
during fire fighters' service operation for elevator operation. The
operating temperature shall be established by the elevator equipment
manufacturer's specifications and shall be posted in each such elevator
machine room. When standby power is connected to the elevator, the
machine room ventilation or air conditioning shall be connected
to standby power.
(c) Requirements for existing elevators, escalators,
and conveyors. Existing elevators, escalators, and conveyors shall
comply with ASME/ANSI A17.3, Safety Code for Existing Elevators and
Escalators, 1995 edition. All existing elevators having a travel distance
of 25 feet or more above or below the level that best serves the needs
of emergency personnel for fire fighting or rescue purposes shall
conform to Fire Fighters' Service Requirements of ASME/ANSI A17.3
as required by NFPA 101, §9-4.3.2.
(d) Testing. All elevators and escalators shall be
subject to routine and periodic inspections and tests as specified
in ASME/ANSI A17.1, Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, 1996
edition. All elevators equipped with fire fighter service shall
be subject to a monthly operation with a written record of the findings
made and kept on the premises as required by NFPA101, §9-4.6.
(e) Certification. A certificate of inspection evidencing
that the elevators, escalators, and related equipment were inspected
in accordance with the requirements in Health and Safety Code (HSC),
Chapter 754, Subchapter B, and determined to be in compliance with
the safety standards adopted under HSC, §754.014, administered
by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, shall be on record
in each facility.
(f) Requirements for new facilities. All new facilities
having patient facilities (such as patient sleeping rooms, dining
rooms, diagnostic, therapy or recreation areas) on floors other
than on the main entrance floor shall have the following number of
elevators:
(1) two elevators for the first 200 bed spaces; or
(2) three elevators for 201 to 350 bed spaces;
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