Okla. Admin. Code § 310:675-5-18

Current through Vol. 42, No. 4, November 1, 2024

Section 310:675-5-18 - Design and construction

The requirements in applicable portions of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 101: Life Safety Code, 2012 Edition, adopted in 81 Federal Register 26871 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on July 5, 2016 are incorporated by reference. For Medicare or Medicaid certified nursing or specialized facilities, the Life Safety Code adopted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services prevails if there is a conflict between the Life Safety Code and this Chapter. A high degree of safety for the occupants shall be provided to minimize the incidence of accidents with special consideration for residents who will be ambulatory to assist them in self care. Hazards such as sharp corners shall be avoided.

(1)Existing facilities. Nonconforming portions which because of financial hardship are not being totally modernized, shall comply with the safety requirements dealing with details and finishes as listed in Chapter 13 NFPA Standard 1-1, 1981.

(2) New construction projects including additions and alterations. Details and finishes shall comply with the following:

(A) Items such as drinking fountains, telephone booths, vending machines, and portable equipment shall be located so as not to restrict corridor traffic or reduce the corridor width below the required minimum.

(B) All rooms containing bathtubs, sitz baths, showers, and water closets, subject to occupancy by residents, shall be equipped with doors and hardware which will permit access from the outside in any emergency. When such rooms have only one opening or are small, the doors shall be capable of opening outward or be otherwise designed to be opened without need to push against a resident who may have collapsed within the room.

(C) The minimum width of all doors to resident rooms and rooms needing access for beds shall be 3'8" (1.12 m.). Doors to rooms needing access for stretchers and to resident's toilet rooms and other rooms needing access for wheelchairs shall have a minimum width of 2'10" (86.3 cm.).

(D) Doors on all openings between corridors and rooms or spaces subject to occupancy, except elevator doors, shall be swing type. Openings to showers, baths, resident's toilets, and other small wet type areas not subject to fire hazard are exempt from this requirement.

(E) Windows and outer doors which may be frequently left in an open position shall be provided with insect screens. Windows shall be designed to prevent accidental falls when open.

(F) Resident rooms intended for occupancy of 24 hours or more shall have windows operable without the use of tools and shall have sills not more than 3'0" (91 cm.) above the floor. Windows in buildings designed with an engineered smoke control system in accordance with NFPA 90A are not required to be operable. However, attention is called to the fact that natural ventilation possible with operable windows may in some areas permit a reduction in energy requirements.

(G) Doors, except doors to spaces such as small closets which are not subject to occupancy, shall not swing into corridors in a manner that might obstruct traffic flow or reduce the required corridor width. (Large walk-in type closets are considered as occupiable spaces.)

(H) Safety glazing shall be of materials and at locations required by the Oklahoma Safety Glazing Material Law.

(I) Thresholds and expansion joint covers shall be made flush with the floor surface to facilitate use of wheelchairs and carts and shall be constructed to restrict the passage of smoke.

(J) Grab bars shall be provided at all residents' toilets, showers, tubs, and sitz baths. The bar shall have 1 1/2" (3.8 cm.) clearance to walls and shall have sufficient strength and anchorage to sustain a concentrated load of 250 lbs. (113.4 kg.).

(K) Recessed soap dishes shall be provided in showers and bathrooms.

(L) Handrails shall be provided on both sides of corridors used by residents. A clear distance of 1 1/2" (3.8 cm.) shall be provided between the handrail and the wall. Ends of handrails and grab bars shall be constructed to prevent snagging the clothes of residents.

(M) Location and arrangement of handwashing facilities shall permit their proper use and operation.

(N) Lavatories and handwashing facilities shall be securely anchored to withstand an applied vertical load of not less than 250 lbs. (113.4 kg.) on the front of the fixture.

(O) Mirrors shall be arranged for convenient use by residents in wheelchairs as well as by residents in a standing position. Mirrors shall not be installed at handwashing fixtures in food preparation areas.

(P) Provisions for hand drying shall be included at all handwashing facilities. These shall be single-use separate, individual paper or cloth units enclosed in such a way as to provide protection against the dust or soil and ensure single unit dispensing. Hot air dryers are permitted provided that installation is such to preclude possible contamination by recirculation of air.

(Q) The minimum ceiling height shall be 8'0" (2.44 m.) with the following exceptions:

(i) Boiler rooms shall have ceiling clearances not less than 2'6" (76 cm.) above the main boiler header and connecting piping.

(ii) Rooms containing ceiling-mounted equipment shall have height required to accommodate the equipment.

(iii) Ceilings in corridors, storage rooms, toilet rooms, and other minor rooms shall be not less than 7'8" (2.34 m.).

(iv) Suspended tracks, rails and pipes located in path of normal traffic shall not be less than 6'8" (2.03 m.) above the floor.

(R) Recreation rooms, exercise rooms, and similar spaces where impact noise may be generated shall not be located directly over resident bed areas unless special provisions are made to minimize such noise.

(S) Rooms containing heat producing equipment (such as boiler or heater rooms and laundries) shall be insulated and ventilated to prevent any floor surface above from exceeding a temperature 10° F. (6° C.) above the ambient room temperature.

(3)Finishes.

(A) Floor materials shall be easily cleanable and have wear resistance appropriate for the location involved. Floors in areas used for food preparation or food assembly shall be water-resistant and grease-proof. Joints in tile and similar material in such areas shall be resistant to food acids. In all areas frequently subject to wet cleaning methods, floor materials shall not be physically affected by germicidal and cleaning solutions. Floors that are subject to traffic while wet (such as shower and bath areas, kitchens, and similar work areas) shall have a non-slip surface.

(B) Wall bases in kitchens, soiled workrooms, and other areas which are frequently subject to wet cleaning methods shall be made integral and covered with the floor, tightly sealed within the wall, and constructed without voids that can harbor insects.

(C) Wall finishes shall be washable and, in the immediate area of plumbing fixtures, shall be smooth and moisture resistant. Finish trim, and wall and floor constructions in dietary and food preparation areas shall be free from spaces that can harbor rodents and insects.

(D) Floor and wall penetrations by pipes, ducts, and conduits shall be tightly sealed to minimize entry of rodents and insects. Joints of structural elements shall be similarly sealed.

(E) Ceilings throughout shall be easily cleanable. Ceilings in the dietary and food preparation areas shall have a finished ceiling covering all overhead piping and duct work. Finished ceilings may be omitted in mechanical and equipment spaces, shops, general storage areas, and similar spaces, unless required for fire-resistive purposes.

Okla. Admin. Code § 310:675-5-18

Amended by Oklahoma Register, Volume 34, Issue 24, September 1, 2017, eff. 10/1/2017