Texas Administrative Code › Title 25 - HEALTH SERVICES › Part 1 - DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES › Chapter 135 - AMBULATORY SURGICAL CENTERS › Subchapter C - PHYSICAL PLANT AND CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS › Section 135.53 - Elevators, Escalators, and Conveyors

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 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.