Each residential long-term care facility must meet the following requirements concerning safety standards:

1. (1) Life Safety Code 1985, Chapter 21, will apply to all facilities built after this part becomes effective;
2. (2) Life Safety Code 1981, Chapter 20, will apply to residential care facilities with fifteen (15) beds or less and Chapter 19 will apply to facilities over fifteen (15) beds licensed prior to the effective date of this part;
3. (3) All facilities must comply with all local life safety code requirements;

4. (4)

   1. (A) Each resident bedroom, living room, dining room, and corridor must have a smoke detector listed by Underwriters Laboratory.
   2. (B) Attics and basements must have one (1) smoke detector for each one thousand square feet (1,000 sq. ft.) of floor space.
   3. (C) Smoke detectors and/or alarm systems must be checked on a monthly basis to ensure that the unit is functioning properly.
   4. (D) A written record documenting the checks must be maintained by each facility;

5. (5)

   1. (A) In multistory facilities licensed after September 1989, smoke barriers of at least one (1) hour rating must be provided between floors, including all solid core doors with closures at either top or bottom of the stairway.
   2. (B) Existing facilities will be required to have solid core doors with closures to keep smoke from spreading between floors;

6. (6)

   1. (A) Properly charged ABC type fire extinguishers at five pounds (5 lbs.) in weight must be placed no more than five feet (5’) above the floor.
   2. (B) Fire extinguishers must be checked annually;
7. (7) Properly charged fire extinguishers must be placed at easily accessible locations on each floor or wing;

8. (8)

   1. (A) Drills must be held quarterly in which residents and employees participate.
   2. (B) Employees shall be trained in the means of rapidly evacuating the building through use of fire drills.
   3. (C) A written record of the drill must be maintained by each facility;
9. (9) Tornado drills must be conducted annually and documented;
10. (10) Residents and staff must be notified that smoking is permitted only in designated areas and such restrictions shall be enforced;

11. (11)

    1. (A) No resident shall occupy any portion of the third or higher floors of any combustible building.
    2. (B) This does not apply to facilities licensed before the effective date of this part, except that any modification, alteration, or additions made after the effective date of this part must satisfy the criteria in effect at the time the modification, alteration, or addition is placed into service;

12. (12) Emergency lights and exit signs:

    1. (A)

       1. (i) Battery-operated emergency light units must be provided for hallways and stairwells.
       2. (ii) Facilities licensed for five (5) beds or less are excluded from this requirement; and

    2. (B)

       1. (i) Illuminated exit signs must be provided at the location of each exit door.
       2. (ii) Facilities licensed for five (5) beds or less are excluded from this requirement;
13. (13) Interior and exterior stairways must have handrails;
14. (14) Steam or heating pipes with which residents or staff come in contact must be covered to prevent injury or burns;

15. (15)

    1. (A) Grab bars must be provided in resident bathrooms for:

       1. (i) Toilets;
       2. (ii) Tubs; and
       3. (iii) Showers.
    2. (B) Bathtubs must be equipped with nonslip surfaces;

16. (16)

    1. (A) In facilities licensed after September 1985, bedrooms must have direct access to an exit corridor.
    2. (B) Access to toilet and bathing areas shall not be through another resident's room;
17. (17) In all facilities, access to bedroom areas must not be through toilet or bathing areas;

18. (18) Any practices or equipment which creates a fire hazard are prohibited, including:

    1. (A)

       1. (i) Portable electric space heaters or self-contained fuel burning space heaters unless specifically authorized by the Office of Long-Term Care in writing.
       2. (ii) This authorization will be given only in cases of an emergency;
    2. (B) Use of electrical cooking appliance or minikitchens in resident rooms;
    3. (C) Combustible containers for smoking material and/or ashes;
    4. (D) The accumulation of combustible material, such as rags, paper items, and general trash, in any part of the building is prohibited;
    5. (E) Flammable material such as gasoline, kerosene, paint, paint thinners, etc., shall not be stored inside the facility; and
    6. (F) Use of extension cords or multiplug adapters;

19. (19) Doors in resident rooms may be secured by the resident provided:

    1. (A) Such doors can be unlocked from the outside; and
    2. (B) Keys are available to attendants at all times;
20. (20) Chain locks, clasps, bars, padlocks, and similar devices must not be used in any area of a facility subject to use by residents;

21. (21)

    1. (A) Exit doors must open out with the flow of traffic in facilities licensed for sixteen (16) or more beds.
    2. (B) Exit doors shall not lock with a key.
    3. (C) Panic hardware or turn knob shall be used;
22. (22) A diagram of the building must be posted in each sleeping area in a conspicuous place showing the location of exits and fire extinguishers;

23. (23)

    1. (A) Emergency telephone numbers must be posted in large print in each facility.
    2. (B) The list must include fire department, police department, physician, ambulance service, poison control center, emergency services, Advocacy Services, Inc., and the office, etc.
    3. (C) If 911 is used, this one (1) number should be used for police, fire, and ambulance service;

24. (24)

    1. (A) If residents are housed above the ground floor, each floor must have two (2) accessible outside fire exits remote from each other.
    2. (B) The exits shall be through a common area and not through a resident's bedroom.
    3. (C) The outside stairways should be protected against snow and sleet.
    4. (D) Windows are not acceptable exits; and
25. (25) Throw or scatter rugs without nonskid backing are not permitted.