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TITLE 26HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
PART 1HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION
CHAPTER 510PRIVATE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS AND CRISIS STABILIZATION UNITS
SUBCHAPTER GPHYSICAL PLANT AND CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS
RULE §510.122New Construction Requirements

      (iv) Encroachment into the means of egress. Items such as drinking fountains, telephone booths or stations, and vending machines shall be so located as to not project into and restrict exit corridor traffic or reduce the exit corridor width below the required minimum. Portable equipment shall not be stored so as to project into and restrict exit corridor traffic or reduce the exit corridor width below the required minimum.

      (v) Doors in means of egress. All door leaves in the means of egress shall be not less than 36 inches wide or as otherwise permitted for facilities by NFPA 101, §18-2.3.5.

      (vi) Sliding doors. When sliding doors are provided to a means of egress corridor, the sliding doors shall have break-away provisions, positive latching devices, and shall be installed to resist passage of smoke.

      (vii) Control doors. Designs that include cross-corridor control doors should be avoided. When unavoidable, cross-corridor control doors shall consist of two 32-inch wide leaves which swing in a direction opposite from the other, or of the double acting type, and be provided with view panels.

      (viii) Emergency access. Rooms containing bathtubs, showers, or water closets, intended for patient use shall be provided with at least one outswinging door or special frame and hardware which will permit the door to swing out for staff access to a patient who may have collapsed against the door. The width of such doors shall not be less than 36 inches.

      (ix) Obstruction of corridors. All doors which swing towards the corridor must be recessed. Corridor doors to rooms not subject to occupancy (any room that you can walk into and close the door behind you is considered occupiable) may swing into the corridor, provided that such doors comply with the requirements of NFPA 101, §7-2.1.4.3.

      (x) Stair landing. Doors shall not open immediately onto a stair without a landing. The landing shall be 44 inches deep or have a depth at least equal to the door width, whichever is greater.

      (xi) Doors to rooms subject to occupancy. All doors to rooms subject to occupancy shall be of the swing type except that horizontal sliding doors complying with the requirements of NFPA 101, §18-2.2.2.9 are permitted. Door leaves to rooms subject to occupancy shall not be less than 36 inches wide unless noted otherwise.

      (xii) Operable windows and exterior doors. Windows that can be opened without tools or keys and outer doors without automatic closing devices shall be provided with insect screens.

      (xiii) Glazing. Glass doors, lights, sidelights, borrowed lights, and windows located within 12 inches of a door jamb or with a bottom-frame height of less than 18 inches and a top-frame height of more than 36 inches above the finished floor which may be broken accidentally by pedestrian traffic shall be glazed with safety glass or plastic glazing material that will resist breaking and will not create dangerous cutting edges when broken. Similar materials shall be used for wall openings in activity areas such as recreation and exercise rooms, unless otherwise required for fire safety. Safety glass, tempered or plastic glazing materials shall be used for shower doors and bath enclosures, interior windows and doors. Plastic and similar materials used for glazing shall comply with the flame-spread ratings of NFPA 101, §18-3.3.

      (xiv) Fire doors. All fire doors shall be listed by an independent testing laboratory and shall meet the construction requirements for fire doors in National Fire Protection Association 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Fire Windows, 1999 edition. Reference to a labeled door shall be construed to include labeled frame and hardware.

      (xv) Elevator doors. Elevator shaft openings shall be protected with a B labeled one-hour fire protection rated doors in buildings less than four stories; and one and one-half hour fire protection rated doors in buildings four or more stories.

      (xvi) Elevator lobbies. Elevator lobbies shall have at least 10 feet of clear floor space in front of the elevator doors.

      (xvii) Grab bars. Grab bars shall be provided at patient toilets, showers and tubs. The bars shall have sufficient strength and anchorage to sustain a concentrated vertical or horizontal load of 250 pounds. Grab bars are not permitted at bathing and toilet fixtures unless designed and installed to eliminate the possibility of patients harming themselves. Grab bars intended for use by the disabled shall also comply with ADA requirements.

      (xviii) Soap dishes. Recessed soap dishes shall be provided at all showers and bathtubs.

      (xix) Hand washing facilities. Location and arrangement of fittings for hand washing facilities shall permit their proper use and operation. Hand washing fixtures with hands-free operable controls shall be provided within each procedure room, workroom, examination and treatment room and all toilet rooms unless noted otherwise. Hands-free includes blade-type handles, and foot, knee, or sensor operated controls. Particular care shall be given to the clearances required for blade-type operating handles. Lavatories and hand washing facilities shall be securely anchored to withstand an applied vertical load of not less than 250 pounds on the front of the fixture. In addition to the specific areas noted, hand washing facilities shall be provided and conveniently located for staff use throughout the facility where patient care and services are provided.

      (xx) Hand drying. Provisions for hand drying shall be included at all hand washing facilities except scrub sinks. There shall be hot air dryers or individual paper or cloth units enclosed in such a way as to provide protection against dust or soil and ensure single unit dispensing.

      (xxi) Mirrors. Mirrors shall not be installed at hand washing fixtures where asepsis control and sanitation requirements would be lessened by hair combing.

      (xxii) Ceiling heights. The minimum ceiling height shall be eight feet with the following exceptions.

        (I) Minor rooms. Ceilings in storage rooms, toilet rooms, and other minor rooms shall be not less than 7 feet 6 inches.

        (II) Boiler rooms. Boiler rooms shall have ceiling clearances not less than 2 feet 6 inches above the main boiler header and connecting piping.

        (III) Overhead clearance. Suspended tracks, rails, pipes, signs, lights, door closers, exit signs, and other fixtures that protrude into the path of normal traffic shall not be less than 6 feet 8 inches above the finished floor.

      (xxiii) Areas producing impact noises. Recreation rooms, exercise rooms, and similar spaces where impact noises may be generated shall not be located directly over patient bed area unless special provisions are made to minimize noise.

      (xxiv) Noise reduction. Noise reduction criteria in accordance with the Table 1 in §134.131(a) of this title (relating to Tables) shall apply to partitions, floor, and ceiling construction in patient areas.

      (xxv) Rooms with heat producing equipment. Rooms containing heat-producing equipment such as heater rooms, laundries, etc. shall be insulated and ventilated to prevent any occupied floor surface above from exceeding a temperature differential of 10 degrees Fahrenheit above the ambient room temperature.

      (xxvi) Chutes. Linen and refuse chutes shall comply with the requirements of National Fire Protection Association 82, Standard on Incinerators and Waste and Linen Handling Systems and Equipment, 1999 edition, and NFPA 101, §18-5.4.

      (xxvii) Thresholds and expansion joint covers. Thresholds and expansion joint covers shall be flush with the floor surface to facilitate the use of wheelchairs and carts. Expansion and seismic joints shall be constructed to restrict the passage of smoke and fire and shall be listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.

      (xxviii) Housekeeping room.

        (I) In addition to the housekeeping room(s) required in certain suites, sufficient housekeeping rooms shall be provided throughout the facility as required to maintain a clean and sanitary environment.

        (II) Each housekeeping room shall contain a floor receptor or service sink and storage space for housekeeping equipment and supplies.

      (xxix) Public toilets. In addition to the public toilets required for the main lobby, a public toilet(s) shall be provided convenient to each public and visitor waiting area. This may be a single unisex toilet for small waiting areas.

    (B) General finish requirements.

      (i) Cubicle curtains and draperies.

        (I) Cubicle curtains, draperies and other hanging fabrics shall be noncombustible or flame retardant and shall pass both the small scale and the large scale tests of National Fire Protection Association 701, Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Flame-Resistant Textiles and Films, 1999 edition. Copies of laboratory test reports for installed materials shall be submitted to the department at the time of the final construction Cont'd...

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