| (7) Nonabsorbent smooth finishes or surfaces must be
used on kitchen floors, walls, and ceilings. These surfaces must be
capable of being routinely sanitized to maintain a healthful environment.
(8) A janitor's closet with service sink must be easily
and readily accessible to the kitchen.
(9) The kitchen exhaust hood at cooking equipment and
its attached automatic chemical extinguisher must comply with NFPA
96. HHSC may waive certain details of NFPA 96 for existing kitchen
exhausts at cooking equipment provided that basic function and safety
are not compromised.
(k) Food storage areas.
(1) Food storage areas must provide for storage of
a seven-day minimum supply of nonperishable staple foods and a two-day
supply of perishable foods at all times.
(2) Shelves and pallets must be moveable wire, metal,
or sealed lumber, and walls must be finished with a nonabsorbent finish
to provide a cleanable surface.
(3) Dry food storage must have a venting system to
provide for reliable positive air circulation.
(4) The maximum room temperature for food storage must
not exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The measurement must be taken at
the five-foot level.
(5) Foods must not be stored on the floor. Dunnage
carts or pallets may be used to elevate foods not stored on shelving.
(6) Sealed containers must be provided for storing
dry foods after the package seal has been broken.
(7) Food storage areas may be located apart from the
food preparation area as long as there is space adjacent to the kitchen
for necessary daily usage.
(l) Auxiliary serving kitchens not contiguous to food
preparation and serving areas.
(1) When service areas other than the kitchen are used
to dispense foods, the facility must designate these service areas
as food service areas and must have equipment for maintaining required
food temperatures while serving.
(2) Separate food service areas must have hand-washing
facilities as a part of the food service area.
(3) Finishes of all surfaces except ceilings must be
the same as those required for dietary kitchens.
(m) Administrative and public areas. Facilities must
have administrative areas for normal business transactions and maintenance
of records.
(n) Laundry.
(1) Laundry facilities must be located in areas separate
from resident rooms. The laundry must be designed, constructed, and
equipped and appropriate procedures must be utilized to ensure that
laundry is handled, cleaned, and stored in a sanitary manner.
(2) Laundry for general linen and clothing must be
arranged so as to separate soiled and clean operations as they relate
to traffic, handling, and air currents. Suitable exhaust and ventilation
must be provided to prevent air flow from soiled to clean areas.
(3) Floors, walls, and ceilings must be nonabsorbing
and easily cleanable.
(4) Soiled linen must be stored and transported in
closed or covered containers. Soiled linen storage or holding rooms
must have a negative air pressure in relation to adjacent areas with
air exhausted through ducts to the exterior.
(5) Laundry areas must have air supply and ventilation
to minimize mildew and odors. Doors must not remain open, for sanitation
and safety reasons.
(6) Room size, and number and type of appliances must
provide efficient, sanitary, and timely laundry processing to meet
the needs of the facility.
(7) The laundry, if located in the facility, must meet
NFPA 101 requirements for separation and construction for hazardous
areas.
(o) Resident-use laundry. This service, if provided,
must be limited to not more than one residential type washer and dryer
per laundry room. This room must be classified as a hazardous area
according to NFPA 101.
(p) Personal grooming area. Space and equipment must
be provided for the hair care and grooming needs of the residents.
Hair care and grooming service will be provided in resident bedrooms
or in designated areas which are not in a way of egress.
(q) Storage rooms. General and specific storage areas
must be provided as needed and required for safe and efficient operation
of the facility. Items must not be stored in inappropriate places
such as corridors or rooms which are not equipped for special hazard
protection.
(r) Janitor closets. In addition to the janitors' closet
called for in certain departments, other janitors' closets must be
provided throughout the facility to maintain a clean and sanitary
environment. All janitor closets must have a negative air pressure
in relation to adjacent areas with air exhausted through ducts to
the exterior.
(s) Disposal facilities. A policy and procedure for
the safe and sanitary disposal of special waste must be provided.
Space and facilities must be provided for the sanitary storage and
disposal of waste, not classified as special, by incineration, mechanical
destruction, compaction, containerization, removal, or contract with
outside resources, or by a combination of these techniques
(t) Maintenance, engineering service, and equipment
areas.
(1) The facility must provide storage for building
equipment, supplies, tools, parts, and yard maintenance equipment.
(2) Volatile liquids and supplies must not be kept
within the main building housing residents.
(3) All equipment requiring periodic maintenance, testing,
and servicing must be reasonably accessible. Necessary equipment to
conduct these services, such as ladders, specific tools, and keys,
must be readily available on site.
(u) Oxygen.
(1) The facility must implement procedures that ensure
the safe and sanitary use and storage of oxygen. Such procedures must
be in compliance with all applicable NFPA standards, including NFPA
99.
(2) Oxygen cylinders and containers must be in compliance
with NFPA 99. Liquid oxygen containers must be certified by UL or
another approved testing laboratory for compliance with NFPA 55 requirements.
The storage, handling, assembly, and testing must be in compliance
with all applicable NFPA standards, including NFPA 99 and NFPA 55
requirements. The facility is responsible for defining all potential
hazards both graphically and verbally to all persons involved in the
use of liquid oxygen and ensuring that the liquid-oxygen provider
does also.
|
| Source Note: The provisions of this §554.318 adopted to be effective July 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 4408; amended to be effective March 22, 2018, 43 TexReg 1646; transferred effective January 15, 2021, as published in the Texas Register December 11, 2020, 45 TexReg 8871 |
