General Building Requirements

Section 300 Section 300.3100  General Building Requirements a)         Elevators 1)         Provide a minimum of one elevator in all buildings of three or more stories in height.  Additional elevators shall be provided as determined by the Department, based on the number, population, and condition of the residents.  The basement, if it is used by residents, shall be considered as one story. 2)         If 60 to 200 beds are located above the second floor, at least one additional elevator shall be provided. If over 200 beds are located above the second floor, the number of additional elevators shall be determined by the Department. 3)         The administrator of the facility must be able to demonstrate to the Department the ability to transfer a patient according to physician's orders using existing elevators and elevator doors. b)         Handrails and Grab Bars 1)         Handrails shall be provided on both sides of all corridors, stairs, and ramps.  Handrails shall be one and one-half inches in diameter and one and one-half inches minimum clear of the wall.  The height shall be 30 to 34 inches measured vertically from floor surface.  Refer to the Rules of the Capital Development Board entitled "Illinois Accessibility Code" (77 Ill. Adm. Code 400) for other acceptable handrail dimensions and details.  (B) 2)         Grab bars shall be provided at all resident toilets, showers, tubs, and sitz bath. Refer to the rules of the Capital Development Board entitled "Illinois Accessibility Code" (71 Ill. Adm. Code 400) for grab bar dimensions and details.  (B) c)         Ceiling Heights 1)         All rooms occupied by or used by residents shall have not less than eight feet ceiling height. 2)         Corridors, storage rooms, toilet rooms and other minor rooms shall have not be less than seven feet, eight inches ceiling height. 3)         Suspended tracks, rails and pipes located in the path of traffic shall not be less than six feet, eight inches above the floor. d)         Doors and Windows 1)         Main entrance and exit doors shall swing outward and be provided with door closers and panic-hardware.  (B) 2)         All exterior doors shall be equipped with a signal that will alert the staff if a resident leaves the building.  Any exterior door that is supervised during certain periods may have a disconnect device for part-time use.  If there is constant 24 hour a day supervision of the door, a signal is not required.  (B) 3)         Locks installed on resident bedroom doors shall be so arranged that they can be quickly and easily unlocked from the corridor side.  All such locks shall be arranged to permit exit from the room by a simple operation without the use of a key. The door may be lockable by the occupant if the door can be unlocked from the corridor side and the keys are carried by the attendants at all times.  (B) 4)         Resident toilet rooms shall open directly into a corridor or into a resident's bedroom.  (B) 5)         The doors for the toilet rooms used by residents shall have a minimum door width of 30 inches.  (B) 6)         No toilet or bathroom door shall be provided with hardware which could allow a resident to become locked in the room.  All toilet or bathroom doors and hardware shall be designed to permit emergency egress from the room.  (B) 7)         Thresholds or parting strips in doorways used by residents shall be flush with the floor. 8)         Doors and windows shall fit snugly and be weather tight, and shall open and close easily. 9)         Outside doors, other than required exits, and operable windows shall be equipped with tight-fitting, 16-mesh screens.  Screen doors shall be equipped with self-closing devices. e)         Floors 1)         Floors shall be smooth, free from cracks and finished so that they can be easily and properly cleaned.  (B) 2)         Floors in bathrooms, kitchens, and utility rooms shall be completely covered with water resistant material.  (B) f)         Walls and Ceilings 1)         Walls and ceilings shall have sound construction, covered with plaster or sheet rock or similar material in good repair, and free from cracks or holes to permit proper cleaning. 2)         Be constructed and maintained so as to prevent the entrance and harborage of rats, mice, flies, and other vermin. g)         Exit corridor walls shall be one hour fire rated construction.  Adjoining open spaces shall not be greater than 600 square feet.  Facilities shall provide direct visual supervision of these open spaces and equip them with an electrically supervised smoke detection system.  (B) h)         There shall be at least one approved fire extinguisher in all basements, furnace rooms, and kitchens.  In addition, there shall be on each floor of the building, extinguishers located so a person will not have to travel more than 50 feet from any point to reach one.  They shall be inspected annually and recharged when necessary.  The date of checking and recharging shall be recorded on a tag attached to the extinguisher.  (B) i)          Approved containers with proper covers shall be provided for daily storage of rubbish. (B) j)          Housekeeping throughout the building, including basements, attics, and unoccupied rooms, shall be adequately performed to minimize all fire hazards.  (B) k)         Facilities shall comply with any reasonable additional fire protection measures recommended by the Department over and above these requirements or the Office of the State Fire Marshal if conditions in and around the building, including its location, indicate that such additional protection is needed.  (B) l)          The building in which a facility is located shall have no other business that is unrelated to health care and that constitutes a hazard or annoyance to the residents.  The business shall be in a segregated portion of the building and shall have a separate entrance.  (A, B)