General Building Requirements

Section 330 Section 330.3620  General Building Requirements Every existing facility shall: a)         Be structurally sound, in good repair, and attractive inside and out.  (B) b)         Have stairs, whether inside or outside of the building, provided with sturdy handrails.  Stairways over three feet wide shall have handrails on each side.  (B) c)         Be served by reliable telephone service. d)         Be served by reliable electrical service.  The Department may require a standby electric generator on the premises to provide an emergency supply of electricity to maintain essential services when it has evidence that there have been frequent and prolonged interruptions of service that have resulted in a threat to the residents' health and welfare.  (B) e)         Be constructed and maintained so as to prevent the entrance and harborage of rats, mice, flies, and other insects. f)         Have all outside doors, other than required exits, and nonstationary windows equipped with tight-fitting, full-length 16-mesh screens.  Screen doors shall be equipped with self-closing devices. g)         Have each exterior door equipped with a signal that will alert personnel in the area if a resident leaves the building.  Any 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)         Be provided with sufficient and satisfactory artificial lighting wherever required throughout the building and grounds. i)          Have smooth floors which are free from cracks and finished so that they can be easily and properly cleaned.  Floors in bathrooms, kitchens, and utility rooms shall be covered wall to wall with terrazzo, inlaid linoleum, tile or approved equivalent.  (B) j)          Have all walls and ceilings of sound construction, covered with plaster or approved equivalent, in good repair, and free from cracks or holes for easy and proper cleaning. k)         Have all windows in good repair so that they fit snugly, yet will open and close easily. l)          Have safety devices provided across low windows, on open porches, at changes in floor level, and at other danger areas inside or outside the building, when there is a danger present to residents.  (B) m)        Have no other business conducted in the building 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. n)         Have any thresholds for doorways used by residents flush with the floor. o)         Have a ceiling height of eight feet or more throughout all rooms occupied or used by residents. p)         Provide a medicine cabinet. (See Section 330.1520.) q)         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.