(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 1 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: P.O. 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 at least 5 feet 8 inches wide by 8 feet 6 inches deep.
  (3) Car door opening. The smallest elevator car door opening shall be at least 3 feet wide and 7 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 facilities 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 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. A facility 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. A facility 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, Chapter 754, Subchapter B, and determined to be in compliance with the safety standards adopted under Health and Safety Code, §754.014, administered by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The certificate of inspection shall be on record in each facility.

Source Note: The provisions of this §131.144 adopted to be effective June 1, 2010, 35 TexReg 4400