General Building Requirements

Section 350 Section 350.2700  General Building Requirements a)         Elevators 1)         Each facility of two or more stories in height shall have a minimum of one elevator.  The basement shall be considered as one story if it is used by residents. 2)         If 80 to 200 beds are located above the first floor, at least one additional elevator shall be provided. 3)         For facilities with more than 200 beds, the number of elevators shall be determined from a study of the use requirements and the estimated vertical transportation requirements. 4)         A minimum of one car shall be of institutional type having inside dimensions that will accommodate a stretcher and attendants and shall be at least five feet by seven feet, six inches. The car door shall have a clear opening of not less than three feet, eight inches. 5)         Elevators shall be equipped with an automatic leveling device of the two-way automatic maintaining type. 6)         Elevator controls, alarm buttons, and telephones shall be accessible to physically handicapped.  Refer to 71 Ill. Adm. Code 400. 7)         Elevator call buttons, control, and door safety stops shall be of a type that will not be activated by heat or smoke. 8)         Elevators, except freight elevators, shall be equipped with a two-way special service key operated switch to permit cars to bypass all landing button calls and be dispatched directly to any floor. 9)         Fireman's emergency operations shall be furnished in accordance with ANSI/ASME Standard A17.1 Elevator Safety Code. 10)         Inspections and tests shall be made and written certification be furnished to the Department that the installation meets the requirements set forth in this Section and all applicable safety regulations and codes. b)         Handrails and Grab Bars 1)         Handrails shall be provided on both sides of all corridors and ramps used by residents. 2)         Handrails shall be provided on all sides of elevator cab not provided with a door. 3)         Handrails on stairs used by residents shall be provided on both sides of the stairs including the platforms and landings. 4)         Handrail dimensions and detail shall conform to 71 Ill. Adm. Code 400. 5)         Handrails shall be installed at a height of 32 inches measured vertically from the floor surface. 6)         Grab bars shall be provided for all resident use toilets, showers and tubs. 7)         The ends of handrails and grab bars shall return to the wall. c)         Ceiling Heights 1)         All rooms occupied or used by residents shall have ceilings not less than eight feet. 2)         Corridors, storage rooms, toilet rooms and other minor rooms shall have ceilings not less than seven feet eight inches. 3)         Suspended tracks, rails and pipes located in the path of traffic shall be not less than six feet eight inches above the floor. 4)         Boiler rooms shall have ceiling clearances not less than two feet six inches above the main boiler header and connecting piping. d)         Doors and Windows 1)         The main entrance and all exit doors shall swing outward and be provided with door closers and panic hardware. 2)         All exterior doors shall be equipped with a signal that will alert the staff if a patient 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. 3)         Locks installed on resident bedroom doors shall be arranged so that they can be quickly and easily unlocked from the corridor side.  All bedroom door 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 keys are carried by staff at all times. 4)         Resident toilet rooms shall open directly into a corridor or into a resident bedroom. 5)         The doors for the toilet rooms used by residents shall have a minimum door width of three feet. 6)         No toilet or bathroom door shall be provided with hardware that could allow a resident to become locked in the room.  All toilet or bathroom doors and hardware shall be designed to permit emergency ingress to the room. 7)         Doors and windows shall fit snugly and be weathertight, yet open and close easily. 8)         Outside doors, other than required exits, and operable windows shall be equipped with tight-fitting, l6 mesh screens. Screen doors shall be equipped with self-closing devices. 9)         All doors to resident sleeping rooms shall be provided with automatic closers actuated by smoke detectors in the resident room. The doors shall normally be free swinging in the open and close directions, and be designed so they will remain in any position except when they are actuated by the detector.  They shall then close gently and shall latch when closed.  When so actuated they shall automatically close again if opened manually.  Each door shall be equipped with a light mounted on the wall adjacent to the door.  The light shall illuminate if the door has been closed as a result of the actuation of the controlling smoke detector.  Each door closer shall be activated only when its own detector annunciates a fire.  In addition, a centrally located monitor shall contain signals that identify the resident room in which the smoke detector has signaled the alarm.  The system shall be wired into the fire alarm system. e)         Floors 1)         Floors shall be smooth, free from cracks and finished so that they can be easily and properly cleaned.  Floors shall be covered wall to wall with water resistant material in wet areas including but not limited to bathrooms, kitchen, and utility rooms. 2)         Thresholds and expansion joints shall be flush with the floor to facilitate use of wheelchairs and carts. f)         Mirrors shall be installed above all lavatories except handwashing lavatories in food preparation areas, or in clean and sterile supply areas or at the nurses' handwashing sink. g)         Paper towel dispensers and waste receptacles or electric hand dryers shall be provided at all lavatories. h)         Rooms containing heat-producing equipment (such as boiler or heater rooms and laundry rooms) shall be insulated and ventilated to prevent any floor surface above from exceeding a temperature of ten degrees Fahrenheit above the ambient room temperature. i)          Sound Transmission Limitation 1)         Recreation rooms and exercise rooms, and similar spaces where impact noises may be generated, shall not be located directly over resident bed areas unless special provisions are made to minimize such noise. 2)         Sound transmission limitations shown in Table A shall apply to partitions, floors, and ceiling construction in resident areas. j)          Materials used for wall and door construction shall be highly resistant to impact damage. k)         Interior Finishes, Fire Extinguishers and Miscellaneous 1)         Interior finish flame spread ratings shall be in accordance with the NFPA 101. 2)         Fire extinguishers shall be installed and maintained in accordance with NFPA 10. At least one fire extinguisher shall be installed in all basements, furnace rooms, and kitchens, laundry rooms and beauty shops.  In addition, on each floor of the building, fire extinguishers shall be located so a person will not have to travel more than 50 feet from any point to reach one.  The facility shall ensure that they are inspected annually and recharged when necessary.  The date of checking and recharging shall be recorded on a tag attached to the extinguisher. 3)         Containers of appropriate size and with proper covers shall be provided for daily storage of rubbish. 4)         Housekeeping throughout the building, including basements, attics, and unoccupied rooms shall be performed to minimize all fire hazards. l)          The facility shall permit no other business not related to health care conducted in the building if it constitutes a hazard or annoyance to the residents.  Permitted businesses shall be in a segregated portion of the building and shall have a separate entrance.