N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 10 §§ 713-3.21

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 43, October 23, 2024

Section 713-3.21 - Details and finishes

Details and finishes shall be designed to provide a high degree of safety for the occupants and shall minimize the incidence of accidents with special consideration for residents who will be ambulatory. Hazards such as sharp corners shall be avoided.

(a) All details shall comply with the following requirements:

(1) Compartmentation, corridors widths, exits, automatic extinguishment systems, and other details relating to fire prevention and fire protection shall comply with requirements of NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, 2000 edition. Further details concerning this referenced material are contained in section 711.2(a) of this Title.

(2) 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.

(3) All rooms containing bathtubs, sitz baths, showers or water closets that are subject to use or 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 outwards or be otherwise designed to be opened without need to push against a resident who may have collapsed within the room.

(4) The minimum width of all openings to rooms needing access for beds or stretchers shall be three feet eight inches.

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

(6) Doors, except doors to spaces such as small closets that 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 spaces subject to occupancy.

(7) Doors, sidelights, borrowed lights, and windows in which the glazing extends down to within 18 inches of the floor, thereby creating possibility of accidental breakage by pedestrian traffic, shall be glazed with safety glass, wire glass, or plastic glazing material that will resist breaking and will not create dangerous cutting edges when broken. Similar materials shall be used in wall openings of recreation rooms and exercise rooms unless required otherwise for fire safety. Glazing materials as noted above shall be used for shower doors and bath enclosures.

(8) Thresholds and expansion joint covers shall be made flush with the floor surface to facilitate use of wheelchairs and carts.

(9) Grab bars shall be provided for all residents' showers, tubs and sitz baths. All grab bars shall have sufficient strength and anchorage to sustain a concentrated load of 250 pounds.

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

(11) Handrails for use by residents shall be provided on both sides of corridors. A clear distance of 1-1/2 inches shall be provided between the handrail and the wall.

(12) Ends of handrail and grab bars shall be constructed to prevent snagging the clothes of residents.

(13) The location and arrangement of handwashing facilities shall permit their proper use and operation. Particular care shall be given to the clearances required for blade-type operating handles. Lavatories intended for use by residents shall be installed to permit use by residents in wheelchairs.

(14) Mirrors shall be arranged for convenient use by residents in wheelchairs as well as by residents in a standing position.

(15) Paper towel dispensers and waste receptacles shall be provided at all handwashing fixtures.

(16) Ceiling heights shall be as follows:

(i) Boiler rooms shall have ceiling clearances not less than two feet six inches above the main boiler header and connecting piping.

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

(iii) All other rooms shall have not less than 7 feet 10 inch ceilings. Suspended tracks, rails and pipes located in path of normal traffic, including resident room vestibule ceilings, shall be not less than six feet eight inches above the floor.

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

(18) 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 above the ambient room temperature.

(b) Finishes shall include and comply with the following:

(1) 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, kitchen and similar work areas, shall have a non-slip surface.

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

(3) 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 construction in dietary and food preparation areas shall be free from spaces that can harbor rodents and insects.

(4) 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.

(5) Ceilings throughout the facility shall be easily cleanable. Dietary and food preparation areas shall have finished ceilings 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.

(6) Acoustical ceilings and acoustical wall treatment, including acoustical in-wall insulation as required, shall be provided for corridors in resident areas, nurses' stations, dayrooms, recreation rooms, dining areas and waiting areas to reduce ambient noise in resident living and sleeping areas.

N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 10 §§ 713-3.21