Rule 111-8-40-.40 - Physical Plant Design and Construction(1)General. The hospital shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the needs of the patients being served. (a) The design and construction specifications for the hospital shall conform to those nationally accepted standards for hospital design and construction as set forth in the Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospital and Healthcare Facilities, published by the American Institute of Architects' Press, which has been accepted for use by the Department and which are current, as determined by the Department to be applicable, at either: 1. The time of construction of the hospital when the initial permit was obtained; or2. The time of request for approval for renovation(s) or addition(s) to areas of the hospital which impact patient care.(b) Compliance with standards acceptable to the Department shall be determined by a state architect designated by the Department to review hospital design and construction specifications.1. All parts of the facility shall be subject to the architect's review, including new and existing buildings, additions, alterations, or renovations to existing structures, any mobile, transportable, or relocatable units, and any off-site structures intended to house hospital services or functions.2. The hospital shall notify the Department prior to initiating new construction, modifications, or additions and shall submit plans for such new construction for review and approval by the state architect designated by the Department.(c) The hospital shall have evidence of a satisfactory inspection of all buildings and structures, including any mobile units, by the local representative of the state fire marshal, the local fire and building authorities (where required by local ordinance), and the state architect.(d) Designated space for the laundry, power plant, mechanical equipment, ambulance entrance, autopsy or morgue, loading dock, incinerator, garbage can cleaning, and storage areas for garbage and trash shall be constructed or arranged to avoid unreasonable noise, steam, odors, hazards to patients, and unsightliness relative to patient bedrooms, dining rooms, and lounge areas.(e) Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing work and equipment shall be designed and installed in accordance with local and state ordinances.(2)Special Requirements for Mobile, Transportable, and Relocatable Units. If the hospital utilizes, by ownership or contract, mobile, relocatable, or transportable units for the provision of hospital services, the units shall meet the following requirements:(a) If the unit is used to provide routine ancillary services for hospital inpatients or to provide services for the hospital emergency room, there shall be a covered or enclosed walkway from the hospital to the unit to ensure patient safety from the outside elements;(b) The unit shall be located so as to prevent diesel or exhaust fumes from the tractor or unit generator from entering the fresh air intake of either the unit or the facility;(c) The unit shall have means of preventing unit movement, either by blocking the wheels or use of pad anchors;(d) The hospital shall provide waiting areas for the unit and, in close proximity to the unit, patient and staff toilet facilities for use by the staff providing services from the unit and for use by the patients accessing the services in the unit;(e) Each unit shall be accessible to wheelchair and stretcher bound patients;(f) The hospital shall provide access to hand washing facilities for staff in the unit, as appropriate to the services provided in the unit and sufficient to allow compliance with the hospital's infection control program;(g) The hospital shall have a plan for the handling of emergencies that may occur in the unit. The unit shall be connected to the hospital communication system for access to emergency response services;(h) Waste lines to the unit shall be designed and constructed to discharge into an approved sewage system. The hospital shall ensure that back-flow prevention is installed at the point of water connection on the unit;(i) If stairs are used to access the unit, they shall have stable handrails; and(j) The hospital shall ensure that approaches to the unit have adequate lighting for safe negotiation at all hours of operation.(3)Emergency Lighting and Power. The hospital shall have access to emergency lighting and electrical power meeting the following requirements: (a) Functioning automatic emergency lighting equipment in all corridors in nursing units and in each operating room, delivery room, emergency room, exit, elevator, and stairway; and(b) A functioning emergency electrical system. The emergency electrical system shall be so controlled that after interruption of the normal electric power supply, the generator is brought to full voltage and frequency and connected within ten (10) seconds through one or more primary automatic transfer switches to all emergency lighting; all alarms; blood banks; nurses' call; equipment necessary for maintaining telephone service; pump for central suction system; and receptacles in operating rooms and delivery rooms, patient corridors, patient rooms, recovery rooms, intensive care nursing areas, and nurseries. All other lighting and equipment required to be connected to the emergency system shall either be connected through the above-described primary automatic transfer switching or shall be subsequently connected through other automatic or manual transfer switching. Receptacles connected to the emergency system shall be distinctively marked for identification. Storage-battery-powered lights, provided to augment the emergency lighting during the interim of transfer switching immediately following an interruption of the normal service supply, shall not be used as a substitute for the requirement of a generator. Where fuel is normally stored on the site, the storage capacity shall be sufficient for twenty-four (24) hour operation. Where fuel is normally piped underground to the site from a utility distribution system, storage facilities on the site will not be required.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 111-8-40-.40
O.C.G.A. § 31-7-2.1.
Original Rule entitled "Requests for Waiver or Variance" adopted. F. Feb. 20, 2013; eff. Mar. 12, 2013.Amended: Renumbered as 111-8-40-.41. New Rule entitled "Physical Plant Design and Construction" adopted. F. Apr. 29, 2014; eff. May 19, 2014.