New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 10 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH › Chapter V - Medical Facilities › Subchapter C - State Hospital Code › Article 2 - Medical Facility Construction › Part 711 - General Standards Of Construction › Section 711.3 - Site requirements

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
(a) Each
					 health facility shall be easily accessible to patients or residents, staff and
					 visitors and to service vehicles such as fire protection apparatus. Health
					 facility grounds shall have paved roads and walkways to provide access to all
					 public and service entrances, including loading docks. Emergency department
					 entrances shall be conspicuously marked to facilitate access from public roads
					 and streets. Access to emergency entrances shall not conflict with other
					 vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
(b) Health facilities shall be located with
					 due regard to the accessibility by public transportation for patients, staff
					 and visitors and the availability of competent medical and surgical
					 consultation.
(c) Off-street
					 parking shall be made available for patients, staff and visitors. In urban
					 areas where a health facility is accessible by public transportation, the
					 commissioner may waive the requirement for off-street parking, if compliance
					 with this requirement is burdensome or unnecessary because adequate parking
					 exists to accommodate patients, staff and visitors.
(d) In earthquake prone regions, health
					 facilities that are subdivided into separate structural units by seismic
					 joints, each unit shall be provided with an exit stairway to permit evacuation
					 from the building without traversing the seismic joints. Special care shall be
					 taken to anchor fixed equipment, suspended ceilings, light fixtures and similar
					 items to minimize hazard to occupants and damage to the equipment and building
					 during an earthquake. Storage shelves and racks holding breakable or fragile
					 supplies shall be designed to retain their contents when subject to the lateral
					 forces of an earthquake.
(e) If a
					 health facility is located in a flood plain, the commissioner may require that
					 the health facility comply with any, or all, of the following:
(1) Health facility footings, foundations,
					 and structural frame shall be designed to be stable under flood
					 conditions.
(2) A helicopter
					 landing pad shall be located on the facility roof and shall be structurally
					 sound and suitable for safe helicopter evacuations of patients and
					 staff.
(3) The health facility
					 shall be designed and capable of providing services necessary to maintain the
					 life and safety of patients and staff if floodwaters reach the 100-year flood
					 crest level and shall include the following:
(i) electrical service, emergency power
					 supply, heating, ventilating and sterilizers;
(ii) main internal communication capability,
					 including nurses' call systems and the fire alarm system;
(iii) dietary service;
(iv) an acceptable alternate to the normal
					 water supply system;
(v) an
					 acceptable emergency means of storage and/or disposal of sewage, biological
					 waste, and garbage;
(vi) emergency
					 department service; and
(vii) x-ray
					 service.
(4) No floor
					 level or basement shall be located below the 100-year flood crest level, unless
					 specifically approved by the commissioner. On those floor levels or basements
					 that the commissioner approves to be below the 100-year flood crest level:
(i) all new partitions shall be constructed
					 without void such as solid concrete, solid concrete block, or other solid
					 material;
(ii) no new carpeting
					 shall be installed; and
(iii) the
					 following services and equipment shall not be provided or located in such area:
(a) medical records storage area;
(b) medical records library;
(c) surgical suite; and
(d) such other services and fixed equipment
					 that the commissioner may determine, taking into consideration patient safety
					 and cost of replacement.
(5) Storage of available building plans of
					 the existing buildings shall be above the 100-year flood crest level.