General Building Requirements

Section 330 Section 330.3060  General Building Requirements Every building shall: a)         Be structurally sound, in good repair, and attractive inside and outside.  (B) b)         Have a minimum of one adequately sized elevator in all buildings of two or more stories in height.  Additional elevators as determined by the Department shall be provided based upon the population and condition of the residents.  The basement shall be considered as one story if it is used by residents.  (B) c)         Have stairways with a minimum head room of seven feet, a minimum width of three feet eight inches on required exit stairs, when serving resident areas, and three feet for all others.  If handrails project more than three and one-half inches, the width shall be measured between the handrails.  Have treads of not less than 11 inches, and risers of not more than seven and one-half inches.  Stairways with triangular or winding treads or single risers are not acceptable.  (B) d)         Have sturdy handrails on both sides of each stairway whether inside or outside of the building.  Handrails shall be one and one-half inches in diameter at least and one and one-half inches clear of the wall.  (B) e)         Have a ceiling height of eight feet or more throughout all rooms occupied or used by the residents.  (B) f)         Have main entrance and exit doors swinging outward with a minimum clear width of three feet, eight inches.  Provide panic hardware and door closers.  (B) g)         Have each exterior door equipped with a signal that will alert personnel in the area if a resident leaves the building.  An exterior door that is supervised during certain periods during the day or night 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) h)         Have all doors and windows in good repair so that they fit snugly and are weathertight, yet will open and close easily. i)          Have all outside doors, other than at required exits, and nonstationary windows equipped with tight fitting full length 16 mesh screens. Screen doors shall be equipped with self-closing devices. j)          Have all floors free from cracks and finished so that they can be easily, properly, and efficiently cleaned.  Floors in bathrooms, kitchens, and utility rooms shall be covered wall to wall with inlaid linoleum, terrazzo, ceramic tile, or an equivalent material.  (B) k)         Have all walls and ceilings of sound construction and covered with plaster or an equivalent, free from cracks, holes, or heavily textured surfaces. l)          Be constructed and maintained so as to prevent the entrance and harborage of rats, mice, flies, and other insects. m)        Be provided with sufficient and satisfactory artificial lighting wherever required throughout the building and grounds. n)         All doorways used by residents shall be flush with the floor. o)         Be served by reliable telephone service.  (B) p)         Provide a medicine cabinet and sink with hot and cold running water. (See Section 330.1530(a).) q)         Have no other business not related to health care conducted in the building that constitutes a hazard or annoyance to the residents.  In any case, the business shall be in a segregated portion of the building and shall have a separate entrance. r)          Install partitions, screens, shields, or other means to protect residents from thermal hazards such as radiators, hot water or steam pipes, baseboard heaters, therapy equipment, or other surfaces accessible to residents which may exceed a temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit.  Any protective device shall be designed and installed so that it does not present a fire or safety hazard or adversely affect the safe operation of the equipment.