| (a) Ambulatory surgical center (ASC) location. Any proposed new ASC shall be easily accessible to the community and to service vehicles such as delivery trucks, ambulances, and fire protection apparatus. No building may be converted for use as an ASC which, because of its location, physical condition, state of repair, or arrangement of facilities, would be hazardous to the health and safety of the patients. An ASC may be a distinct separate part of an existing hospital, it may occupy an entire separate independent structure, or it may be located within another building such as an office building or commercial building. (1) Means of egress. An ASC shall have at least two exits remotely located in accordance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 101, Life Safety Code, 2003 Edition (NFPA 101), §20.2.4.1. When a required means of egress from the ASC is through another portion of the building, that means of egress shall comply with the requirements of NFPA 101 which are applicable to the occupancy of that other building. Such means of egress shall be open, available, unlocked, unrestricted, and lighted at all times during the ASC hours of operation. All documents published by National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) as referenced in this section may be obtained by writing or calling the NFPA at the following address or telephone number: National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, Massachusetts 02269-9101 or 800-344-3555. (2) Hazardous location. (A) Underground and above ground hazards. A new ASC or an addition(s) to an existing ASC shall not be constructed within 150 feet of easement boundaries or setbacks of hazardous underground locations including but not limited to liquid butane or propane, liquid petroleum or natural gas transmission lines, high pressure lines, and not within the easement of high voltage electrical lines. (B) Fire hazards. A new ASC and an addition to an existing ASC shall not be built within 300 feet of above ground or underground storage tanks containing liquid petroleum or other flammable liquids used in connection with a bulk plant, marine terminal, aircraft refueling, bottling plant of a liquefied petroleum gas installation, or near other hazardous or hazard producing plants. (3) Undesirable locations. (A) Nuisance producing sites. A new ASC shall not be located near nuisance producing sites such as industrial sites, feed lots, sanitary landfills, or manufacturing plants which produce excessive noise or air pollution. (B) Flood plains. (i) New construction. When a new ASC is constructed in a designated 100-year flood plain, the building finished floor elevation shall be one foot above the set base flood plain elevation. The building shall meet all local flood code ordinances and local flood control requirements. (ii) Previously licensed ASC. To obtain a license as an ASC, a previously licensed ASC and an existing building or a portion of an existing building located in a designated 100-year flood plain shall meet the requirement of subparagraph (B)(i) of this paragraph. (iii) Existing ASC. ASC required functional components shall be constructed above the designated flood plain in a new addition to an existing ASC located in a designated 100-year flood plain. The new addition shall meet the requirement of subparagraph (B)(i) of this paragraph. (b) ASC site. The ASC site shall include paved roads, walkways, and parking in accordance with the requirements set out in this subsection. (1) Paved roads and walkways. (A) Paved roads shall be provided within lot lines for access from public roads to the main entrance and to service entrances. (B) Finished surface walkways shall be provided for pedestrians. When public transportation or walkways serve the site, finished surface walkways or paved roads shall extend from the public conveyance to the building entrance. (2) Parking and disability requirements. (A) Parking requirements. Off-street parking shall be provided at the minimum ratio of two spaces for each operating room, one space for each staff member, and one visitor's space for each operating room. (B) Design for the handicapped. Special considerations benefiting handicapped staff, visitors, and patients shall be provided. Each ASC shall comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, Public Law 101 - 336, 42 United States Code, Chapter 126, and Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1191, Appendix A, Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities or 16 Texas Administrative Code, §68.20 (relating to Buildings and Facilities Subject to Compliance with the Texas Accessibility Standards), Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS), April 1, 1994 edition, issued by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, under the Texas Architectural Barriers Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 469. (c) Building design and construction requirements. Every building and every portion thereof shall be designed and constructed to sustain all dead and live loads in accordance with accepted engineering practices and standards and local governing building codes. Where there is no local governing building code, the ASC shall be constructed in accordance with the International Building Code, 2003 edition, published by the International Code Council, 500 New Jersey Avenue, Northwest, 6th Floor, Washington, District of Columbia 20001-2070, (888) 422-7233. (1) General architectural requirements. All new construction, including conversion of an existing building to an ASC or establishing a separately licensed ASC within another existing building, shall comply with NFPA 101, Chapter 20, New Ambulatory Health Care Occupancies, of the National Fire Protection Association 101, Life Safety Code, 2003 Edition (NFPA 101), and Subchapters B and C of this chapter (relating to Fire Prevention and Safety Requirements, and Physical Plant and Construction Requirements, respectively). Construction documents shall be submitted to the department in accordance with §135.54 of this title (relating to Preparation, Submittal, Review and Approval of Plans, and Retention of Records). (A) Construction types for multiple building occupancy. (i) When an ASC is part of a larger building which complies with NFPA 101, §20.1.6, Minimum Construction Requirements for (fire resistance) construction type, the designated ASC shall be separated from the remainder of the building with a minimum of one-hour fire-rated construction. (ii) When an ASC is located in a multistory building of two or more stories, the entire building shall meet the construction requirements of NFPA 101, §20.1.6.3. An ASC shall not be located in a multistory building which does not comply with the minimum construction requirements of NFPA 101, §20.1.6.3. (iii) When an ASC is part of a one-story building that does not comply with the construction requirements of NFPA 101, §20.1.6.2, the ASC shall be separated from the remainder of the building with a two-hour fire-rated construction. The designated ASC portion shall have the construction type upgraded to comply with NFPA 101, §20.1.6.2. (B) Special design provisions. Special provisions shall be made in the design of a facility if located in a region where local experience shows loss of life or extensive damage to buildings resulting from hurricanes, tornadoes, or floods. (2) Physical environment. A physical environment that protects the health, welfare, and safety of patients, personnel, and the public shall be provided in each facility. The physical premises of the facility and those areas of the facility's physical structure that are used by the patients (including all stairwells, corridors, and passageways) shall meet the local building and fire safety codes and the requirements of this chapter. (3) Other regulations. The more stringent standard, code or requirement shall apply when a difference in requirements for construction exists. (4) Exceeding minimum requirements. Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to prohibit a better type of building construction, more exits, or otherwise safer conditions than the minimum requirements specified in this subchapter. (5) Equivalency. Nothing in this subchapter is intended to prevent the use of systems, methods, or devices of equivalent or superior quality, strength, fire resistance, effectiveness, durability, and safety to those prescribed by this subchapter, provided technical documentation which demonstrates equivalency is submitted to the department for approval. (6) Freestanding buildings (not for patient use). Separate freestanding buildings for nonpatient use such as the heating plant, boiler plant, laundry, repair workshops, or general storage may be of unprotected noncombustible construction, protected noncombustible construction, or fire-resistive construction and be designed and constructed in accordance with other occupancy classifications requirements listed in NFPA 101. (d) Spatial requirements. (1) Administration and public areas. Cont'd... |
