SECTION 133.164. Elevators, Escalators, and Conveyors

(a) General. All hospitals with two or more floor levels shall have at least one electrical or electrical hydraulic elevator. 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 §18.3 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, [phone].

(b) Requirements for new elevators, escalators, and conveyors. New elevators, escalators and conveyors shall be installed in accordance with the requirements of 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, N.Y. 10017.

(1) Elevator lobby. An elevator lobby shall be provided. The elevator lobby shall have at least 10 feet of clear floor space in front of each elevator door.

(2) Elevator shaft openings. When elevator shaft openings occur in a smoke compartment with patient sleeping rooms or occur in a smoke compartment adjacent to the patient sleeping rooms, the elevator shaft openings shall resist the passage of smoke by one of the following means.

(A) Provide a lobby with separation partitions to resist the passage of smoke from the means of egress. When elevator lobby space extends into the egress corridor, the means of egress from one side of the egress corridor through the lobby to the other side of the egress corridor is not permitted during emergency conditions.

(B) Provide a mechanical means of exhausting smoke from the elevator shaft. The smoke removal exhaust system for the elevator shaft shall operate automatically upon the initiation of the activation of the smoke detectors located in each elevator lobby, which also initiates automatic recall of the elevator cabs to the designated level of discharge. The activation of the smoke exhaust system shall provide a negative pressure at each level.

(C) Provide swinging doors that are held open by magnetic hold open devices and close the doors at the elevator door opening upon activation of the fire alarm system.

(D) Provide a horizontal automated moving door like a "Won-Door" two feet or more from the elevator door opening that will close automatically by the activation of the fire alarm system and have emergency capabilities of opening and closing.

(E) The elevator shaft opening protection shall not be required at the elevator main level of recall.

(3) Cars and doors.

(A) Cars of hospital type elevators for patient transport shall not be less than five feet eight inches wide and not less than eight feet six inches deep inside the cab.

(B) The car door opening shall be not less than four feet wide and seven feet high.

(C) Elevator doors shall be B-labeled one-hour fire protection rated doors in buildings less than four stories; and one and one-half hour fire protection rated doors in buildings four or more stories.

(4) Type of controls and alarms. Elevator cab lighting, control, communication and signal systems shall be connected in accordance with NFPA 99, §4.4.2.2.2.2.

(5) Location. Conveyors, elevators, dumbwaiters, and pneumatic conveyors serving various stories of a building shall not open to an exit.

(6) 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 required to maintain temperature during fire fighters' service operation for elevator operation. 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.

(c) Requirements for existing elevators, escalators, and conveyors. Existing elevators, escalators, and conveyors shall comply with ASME/ANSI A17.3, Safety Code for Existing Elevators and Escalators, 1996 edition. All existing elevators having a travel distance of 25 feet or more above or below the level that best serves the needs of emergency personnel for fire-fighting or rescue purposes shall conform to Fire Fighters' Service Requirements of ASME/ANSI A17.3 as required by NFPA 101, §9.4.3.

(d) Testing. All elevators and escalators shall be subject to routine and periodic inspections and tests 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.

(e) Certification. A certificate of inspection evidencing that the elevators, escalators, 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, shall be on record in each hospital.

(f) Requirements for new hospitals. All new hospitals having patient facilities (such as patient sleeping rooms, dining rooms, or recreation areas) or critical services (such as operating, delivery, diagnostic, or therapy) on floors other than on the main entrance floor shall have the following number of hospital type elevators:

(1) at least one hospital type elevator for the first 59 beds;

(2) at least two elevators for the first 60 to 200 patient bed spaces. One elevator shall be the hospital type;

(3) at least three elevators for 201 to 350 patient bed spaces. Two elevators shall be hospital type; or

(4) for hospitals with over 350 patient beds, as determined from a study of the hospital plan and the estimated vertical transportation requirements for the facility.

Source Note: The provisions of this §133.164 adopted to be effective June 21, 2007, 32 TexReg 3587