Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a)
Elevators. All buildings that have patient services located on other than the
main entrance floor shall have electric or electrohydraulic elevators. The
elevators shall be installed in sufficient quantity, capacity, and speed to
ensure that the average interval of dispatch time will not exceed one minute,
and average peak loading can be accommodated. Elevators shall also give access
to all building levels normally used by the public. Escalators and conveyors
are not required but, when provided, shall comply with these requirements and
the requirement of §20.3 of the National Fire Protection Association 101,
Life Safety Code, 2003 Edition (NFPA 101), published by the National Fire
Protection Association. All documents published by the NFPA as referenced in
this section may be obtained by writing or calling the NFPA at the following
address and telephone number: Post Office Box 9101, 1 Batterymarch Park,
Quincy, Massachusetts 02269-9101, (800) 344-3555.
(b) Requirements for new elevators,
escalators, and conveyors. New elevators, escalators and conveyors shall be
installed in accordance with the requirements of Health and Safety Code,
Chapter 754, Elevators, Escalators, and Related Equipment, and A17.1 Safety
Code for Elevators and Escalators, 2000 edition, published by the American
Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI). All documents published by the ASME/ANSI as referenced in
this section may be obtained by writing the ANSI, United Engineering Center,
345 East 47th Street, New York, New York 10017.
(1) Location. Elevators shall not open to an
exit.
(2) Elevator car size. A
facility located above the ground floor must have an elevator of sufficient
size to accommodate a gurney available at all times. Minimum elevator car size
shall be five feet wide and seven feet deep. When an operating room(s) is
located on a different floor than the preoperative area or the postoperative
recovery suite, a hospital-type elevator shall be provided. Cars of
hospital-type elevators shall be at least five feet eight inches wide by eight
feet six inches deep.
(3) Car door
opening. The smallest elevator car door opening shall be at least three feet
wide and seven feet high.
(4)
Elevator and elevator shaft doors. When light beams are used for operating door
opening devices, the beams shall be used in combination with door edge devices
and shall be interconnected with a system of smoke detectors. The light control
feature shall be disengaged when smoke is detected in any elevator
lobby.
(5) Type of controls and
alarms. Elevator call buttons, controls, and door safety stops shall be of a
type that will not be activated by heat or smoke.
(6) Leveling. All elevators shall be equipped
with an automatic leveling device of the two-way automatic maintaining type
with an accuracy of one-half inch.
(7) Operation. All elevators, except freight
elevators, shall be equipped with a two-way key operated service switch
permitting cars to bypass all landing button calls and be dispatched directly
to any floor.
(8) Accessibility of
controls and alarms. Elevator controls, alarm buttons, and telephones shall be
accessible to wheelchair occupants in accordance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act.
(9) Smoke
detection system. A smoke detection system for elevator recall shall be located
in elevator lobbies, elevator machine rooms and at the top of elevator hoist
ways as required by NFPA 72, §6.15.3.10.
(A) The elevator recall smoke detection
system in new construction shall comply with requirements of American Society
of Mechanical Engineers/American National Standards Institute (ASME/ANSI)
A17.1, Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, 2000 edition. The publications
of the ASME/ANSI referenced in this section may be obtained by writing
ASME/ANSI, United Engineering Center, 345 East 47th Street, New York, New York
10017.
(B) The elevator recall
smoke detection system in existing ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) shall
comply with requirements of ASME/ANSI A17.3, Safety Code for Existing Elevators
and Escalators, 2002 edition.
(10) Elevator machine rooms. Elevator machine
rooms that contain solid-state equipment for elevators having a travel distance
of more than 50 feet above the level of exit discharge or more than 30 feet
below the level of exit discharge shall be provided with independent
ventilation or air conditioning systems with the capability to maintain an
operating temperature during fire fighter service operations. The operating
temperature shall be established by the elevator equipment manufacturer's
specifications and shall be posted in each such elevator machine room. When
standby power is connected to the elevator, the machine room ventilation or air
conditioning shall be connected to standby power. These requirements are not
applicable to existing elevators.
(11) Testing. An ASC shall have all elevators
and escalators routinely and periodically inspected and tested as specified in
ASME/ANSI A17.1, Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, 2000 edition. All
elevators equipped with fire fighter service shall be subject to a monthly
operation with a written record of the findings made and kept on the premises
as required by NFPA 101, §9.4.6.
(12) Certification. An ASC shall obtain a
certificate of inspection evidencing that the elevators, escalators, conveyors,
and related equipment were inspected in accordance with the requirements in
Health and Safety Code (HSC), Chapter 754, Subchapter B, and determined to be
in compliance with the safety standards adopted under HSC, §754.014,
administered by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The
certificate of inspection shall be on record in each ASC.
(c) Requirements for existing elevators,
escalators, and conveyors. Existing elevators and escalators shall comply with
the ASME/ANSI A17.3, Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, 1996 edition.
All existing elevators having a travel distance of 25 feet or more above or
below the level that best serves the needs of emergency personnel for fire
fighting or rescue purposes shall conform to Fire Fighters' Service
Requirements of ASME/ANSI A17.3 as required by NFPA 101, §9.4.3.
