Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a) The provisions
of NFPA 101, Chapter 7, Means of Egress, do not apply to an existing small Type
A assisted living facility unless explicitly referenced by this section or by
NFPA 101, Chapter 33, Existing Residential Board and Care
Occupancies.
(b) An existing small
Type A assisted living facility must meet the requirements of 33.2.2, Means of
Escape, in NFPA 101, Chapter 33, Existing Residential Board and Care
Occupancies, except as described in this section.
(c) An existing small Type A assisted living
facility must ensure doors meet the requirements of 33.2.2.5, Doors, in NFPA
101, Chapter 33, Existing Residential Board and Care Occupancies, and the
additional requirements of this section.
(1)
A resident room door in an existing small Type A assisted living facility not
protected throughout by an approved automatic fire sprinkler system complying
with the requirements of §553.115 of this division (relating to Fire
Protection Systems Requirements for an Existing Small Type A Assisted Living
Facility) must meet one of the following options. A resident room door is not
otherwise required to meet the requirements for doors in 33.2.3.6, Construction
of Corridor Walls, in NFPA 101, Chapter 33, Existing Residential Board and Care
Occupancies.
(A) The door must be a solid
core wood door at least 1-3/4 inches thick or have a 20-minute opening
protection rating and must latch in its frame to resist the passage of smoke;
or
(B) The door must be
self-closing or automatic-closing and must latch in its frame to resist the
passage of smoke.
(2) A
resident room door in an existing small Type A assisted living facility
protected throughout by an approved automatic fire sprinkler system complying
with the requirements of §553.115 of this division must latch in its frame
to resist the passage of smoke.
(3)
In an existing small Type A assisted living facility comprised of buildings
that contain living units with independent cooking equipment within the living
unit, a door between the living unit and a corridor or hallway must:
(A) be self-closing or automatic-closing;
and
(B) latch in its frame to
resist the passage of smoke.
(4) A resident room door or living unit door
must not be arranged to prevent the occupant from closing the door.
(d) An existing small Type A
assisted living facility providing a bedroom window used as a secondary means
of escape must ensure the window meets the requirements for a bedroom window
used as a secondary means of escape in §553.112 of this division (relating
to Space Planning and Utilization Requirements for an Existing Small Type A
Assisted Living Facility).
(e) An
existing small Type A assisted living facility providing spaces for use by
residents on floors other than the ground floor must provide at least two
separate approved stairs.
(1) An existing
stair may be continued in service, subject to approval by HHSC.
(2) A stair used as means of escape must meet
the requirements of 33.2.2.6, Stairs, in NFPA 101, Chapter 33, Existing
Residential Board and Care Occupancies.
(3) Each stair must be arranged and located
so that it is not necessary to go through another room, including a bedroom or
bathroom, to reach the stair.
(4)
Each stair must be provided with handrails.
(5) Each stair must be provided with normal
lighting according to the requirements of §553.118 of this division
(relating to Electrical Requirements for an Existing Small Type A Assisted
Living Facility).
(6) A stair in an
existing building that became an assisted living through conversion must meet
the dimensional criteria for existing stairs in 7.2.2.2, Dimensional Criteria,
in NFPA 101, Chapter 7, Means of Egress.
(7) An existing stair, previously approved by
HHSC, may be rebuilt to the same dimensions but must meet all other
requirements for stairs in NFPA 101.
