New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules
He - Department of Health and Human Services
Subtitle He-P - Former Division of Public Health Services
Chapter He-P 800 - RESIDENTIAL CARE AND HEALTH FACILITY RULES
Part He-P 816 - EDUCATIONAL HEALTH CENTERS
Section He-P 816.22 - Physical Environment

Universal Citation: NH Admin Rules He-P 816.22

Current through Register No. 40, October 3, 2024

(a) The physical environment shall be maintained, inside and outside, so as to provide for the health, safety, well-being, and comfort of students and personnel, including reasonable accommodations for students and personnel with mobility limitations.

(b) Equipment providing heat within an EHC including, but not limited to, gas furnace or boiler, oil furnace or boiler, wood stove, or pellet stove shall:

(1) Maintain a temperature of at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit if student(s) are present; and

(2) Be serviced once a year or as recommended by the manufacturer with written documentation of such service retained for at least 4 years.

(c) Electric heating systems shall be exempt from (b) (2) above.

(d) Portable space heating devices shall be prohibited, unless the following are met:

(1) Such devices are used only in personnel areas where personnel are present and awake at all times; and

(2) The heating elements of such devices do not exceed 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

(e) Unvented fuel-fired heaters shall not be used in any EHC.

(f) Plumbing shall be sized, installed, and maintained in accordance with the provisions of the state plumbing code as adopted under RSA 329-A:15 and RSA 155-A.

(g) Ventilation shall be provided throughout the entire building by means of a mechanical ventilation system or with one or more screened windows that can be opened.

(h) Screens shall be provided for doors, windows, or other openings to the outside.

(i) Doors that are self-closing and remain closed when not in use shall be exempt from the requirement in (h) above.

(j) The EHC shall have a telephone to which the students have access.

(k) There shall be a reception and waiting area that includes chairs, tables, and sufficient lighting.

(l) In accordance with RSA 155:66, I, smoking shall be prohibited in the EHC.

(m) All EHCs shall have access within the EHC to a bathroom with a toilet, a hand washing sink, soap dispenser, paper towels or a hand-drying device providing heated air, and hot and cold running water.

(n) All bathrooms doors shall have a side hinge door and not a folding or sliding door or a curtain.

(o) There shall be sufficient space and equipment for the services provided at the EHC.

(p) If the EHC does not have licensed beds it shall provide standard twin size, or larger, bed(s) in a room designated specifically for rest or sleep to accommodate each student who may require rest or sleep during the time they are present during the day.

(q) All beds shall be changed with clean linens between use by different students.

(r) The licensee shall provide students with continuous access to a device or means that will signal EHC personnel when they are in need of assistance.

(s) In addition to (m) above, EHC's with licensed beds shall have a bathroom equipped with tub or shower facilities sufficient to meet the needs of students.

(t) All bathroom and closet door latches or locks shall be designed for easy opening from the inside and outside in an emergency.

(u) All showers and tubs shall have slip resistant floors and surfaces which are intact, easily cleanable, and impervious to water.

(v) Each room containing a licensed bed(s) shall:

(1) Provide at least 100 square feet per room with one bed and at least 160 square feet per room with 2 beds exclusive of space required for closets, wardrobes, and toilet room, except those licensed rooms existing on the date that this section takes effect shall provide at least 80 square feet for rooms with one bed and 140 square feet for rooms with 2 beds;

(2) Have a door that shall be of the side hinge type and not a folding door or a curtain;

(3) Have its own separate entry, which permits a student to reach the room without passing through another patient room;

(4) Have at least 3 feet of clear aisle space leading from one side of any bed to the door;

(5) Contain the following:
a. A minimum of one, but no more than 2, beds with mattresses;

b. A pillow, linens, and blankets for each bed; and

c. One bedside table and a lamp or light for each bed;

(6) Have at least one over the bed table per room;

(7) Have window blinds or curtains that provide privacy;

(8) A privacy partition, curtain, or screen between beds in semiprivate rooms; and

(9) Have natural lighting directly from outside windows of a size equivalent to or greater than 8% of the room's gross square footage.

(w) All mattresses and new upholstered furniture or draperies shall comply with Saf-C 6000, as amended pursuant to RSA 153:5, I, by the state fire marshal with the board of fire control.

(x) The licensee shall be permitted to be licensed for more than one classification, but if the licensee has overnight beds for more than one licensing classification, physically separate and distinct units shall be required for each such classification and a different fire code chapter shall be enforced for each classification, as applicable.

#9193, eff 6-26-08

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