SECTION 554.342. Miscellaneous Details

(a) Safety related details. A high degree of safety for the occupants is needed to minimize accidents more apt to occur with the elderly and/or infirm residents in a nursing facility. Consideration must be given to the fact that many have impaired vision, hearing, spatial perception, and ambulation.

(1) Hazards such as sharp corners and edges and unexpected steps must be avoided.

(2) Items such as drinking fountains, telephone booths, vending machines, and portable equipment must be located so as not to restrict corridor traffic or reduce corridor width.

(3) Windows must be designed to prevent residents from accidentally falling through the windows.

(4) Doors that normally stay open or are frequently used must not swing out into the corridor unless otherwise needed or required. Alcoves may be provided for doors that must swing outward toward a corridor or way of egress.

(5) The proper use of safety glass must be adhered to in applicable locations and conditions.

(6) Thresholds and expansion joint covers must be made essentially flush with the floor surface to facilitate use of wheelchairs and carts. See §19.340(a)(8) of this title (relating to Mechanical Requirements) for requirements for such items as shower curbs, surfaces, and doors.

(7) Grab bars must be provided at all residents' toilets, showers, tubs, and sitz baths. The bars must be 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter and must have 1-1/2 inch clearance to walls. Bars must have sufficient strength and anchorage to sustain a concentrated load of 250 pounds. Grab bar standards must comply with standards adopted under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

(8) Handrails must be provided on both sides of corridors used by residents. A clear distance of 1-1/2 inches must be provided between the handrail and the wall. Handrails must be securely mounted to withstand downward forces of 250 pounds. Handrails may be omitted on wall segments less than 18 inches. Handrails must be mounted 33 inches to 36 inches above the floor, and must comply with standards adopted under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Texas Accessibility Standards.

(9) Ends of handrails and grab bars must be constructed to prevent snagging the clothes of residents (that is, return ends to wall).

(10) Ceiling fan blades must be at least seven feet above the floor and be located so as not to interfere with the operation of any ceiling-mounted smoke detectors.

(b) General details.

(1) Concrete floors, whether finished by sealant, or similar product, must not be used as the finished floor unless specifically approved in writing by the Texas Department of Human Services. An exception is mechanical equipment rooms and maintenance or similar areas.

(2) Sound separation must be provided in corridor walls and resident room party walls; Minimum Sound Transmission Coefficient 30 per American Society for Testing Material E-90.

(3) Illumination and a safe platform in the attic must be provided at all attic access panels.

(4) Attic access must be provided for building maintenance. Access panels must be prime coated steel flush panels where required to maintain fire rating of ceiling-roof/ceiling-floor assemblies.

Source Note: The provisions of this §554.342 adopted to be effective July 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 4408; amended to be effective August 1, 2000, 25 TexReg 6779; amended to be effective July 1, 2002, 27 TexReg 5245; transferred effective January 15, 2021, as published in the Texas Register December 11, 2020, 45 TexReg 8871