Section He-P 802.26 - Physical Environment(a) The licensed premises shall be maintained so as to provide for the health, safety, well-being, comfort, and privacy of patients and personnel, including reasonable accommodations for patients and personnel with mobility limitations.(b) The licensee shall: (1) Have all emergency entrances and exits accessible at all times; (2) Maintain the premises in good repair and kept free of hazards to personnel and patients, including but not limited to hazards from falls, burns, or electric shocks; (3) Keep the premises free from environmental nuisances, including excessive noise and odors; (4) Keep all corridors free from obstructions; and(5) Take reasonable measures to prevent the presence of rodents, insects, and vermin to include, but not limited to: a. Having tightly fitting screens on all doors, windows, or other openings to the outside unless the door is self-closing and remains closed when not in use;b. Repairing holes and caulking of pipe channels; andc. Extermination by a pesticide applicator licensed under RSA 430. (c) Equipment providing heat within a hospital including, but not limited to, gas furnace or boiler, oil furnace or boiler, wood furnace or boiler, or pellet furnace or boiler shall: (1) Maintain a temperature of at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day if patient(s) are present; and(2) Be serviced once a year or as recommended by the manufacturer with written documentation of such service retained for at least 4 years.(d) Electric heating systems shall be exempt from (c) (2) above.(e) Portable space heating devices shall be prohibited, unless the following are met: (1) Such devices are used only in employee areas where personnel are present and awake at all times; and(2) The heating elements of such devices do not exceed 212 degrees Fahrenheit.(f) Any heating device other than a central plan shall be designed and installed so that: (1) Combustible material cannot be ignited by the device or its appurtenances; (2) If fuel-fired, such heating devices comply with the following: a. They shall be chimney or vent connected;b. They shall take air for combustion directly from outside; andc. They shall be designed and installed to provide for complete separation of the combustion system from the atmosphere of the occupied area; and(3) Any heating device has safety features to immediately stop the flow of fuel and shut down the equipment in case of either excessive temperatures or ignition failure. (g) Unvented fuel-fired heaters shall not be used in any hospital.(h) Plumbing shall be sized, installed, and maintained in accordance with the state plumbing code pursuant to RSA 155-A. (i) Screens shall be provided for doors and windows that are left open to the outside.(j) Doors that are self-closing and remain closed when not in use are exempt from the requirement in (i) above. (k) The licensee shall have a telephone to which the patients have access.(l) Toilet and bathing facilities shall be provided to meet patient needs in relation to the number and acuity of the patients.(m) Separate toilets with hand washing sinks shall be provided for personnel and visitors.(n) All toilets shall be vented out-of-doors.(o) Each bathroom shall be equipped with:(2) Paper towels or a hand-drying device providing heated air; and(3) Hot and cold running water.(p) All showers and tubs shall have slip resistant floors and surfaces which are intact, easily cleanable, and impervious to water.(q) All hand-washing facilities shall be provided with hot and cold running water.(r) All bathroom and closet doors must either swing or slide and have latches or locks which shall be designed for easy opening from the inside and outside in an emergency.(s) The licensee shall comply with all state and local codes and ordinances for: (t) The hospital shall be accessible at all times of the year.(u) The licensee shall provide housekeeping and maintenance adequate to protect patients, personnel and the public.(v) Reasonable precautions, such as repair of holes and caulking of pipe channels, shall be taken to prevent the entrance of rodents and vermin.(w) Doors shall be of such width as to permit removal of hospital beds and meet the state fire and building code.(x) Corridors in patient occupied areas shall be wide enough to permit passage of 2 hospital beds, in addition to complying with NFPA 101 for means of egress.(y) Ventilation shall be provided throughout the entire hospital and, whenever necessary, mechanical means such as fans shall be provided to remove excessive heat, moisture, objectionable odors, dust, or explosive or toxic gases.(z) There shall be an emergency generator system to provide power pursuant to the following, as adopted by the commissioner of the department of safety in Saf-C 6000, pursuant to RSA 153, and as amended by the state fire marshal with the board of fire control: (1) The Electrical Systems chapter of NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code; and(2) The Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems, NFPA 110.(aa) Waste water shall be disposed of through a system which meets the requirements of RSA 485:1-A and Env-Wq 1000. Sink drains which have no connection to sanitary sewers or septic systems and similar methods of disposal above ground shall be strictly prohibited. (ab) Facilities shall provide for prompt cleaning of bedpans, urinals and other utensils.(ac) Any locked door providing egress from a patient room and/or means of egress within a hospital shall meet the requirements of the Health Care Occupancy chapter of NFPA 101, as adopted pursuant to RSA 153:1, VI-a and amended in Saf-Fmo 300 by the fire marshal with the board of fire control, pursuant to RSA 153:5.(ad) Delayed egress doors on locked units shall be equipped with locking devices, which shall: (1) Unlock upon actuation of the automatic fire detection and sprinkler system; and(2) Unlock upon loss of power.(ae) A system for sterilization of equipment and supplies shall be provided which shall be checked for effective sterilization in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendation and the results of these quality control tests shall be documented.(af) Sterile supplies and equipment shall be stored in a manner that protects from contamination and follows manufacturer's recommendations.N.H. Admin. Code § He-P 802.26
Amended by Volume XXXVII Number 45, Filed November 09, 2017, Proposed by #12407, Effective 10/24/2017, Expires 4/22/2018.Amended by Volume XLI Number 6, Filed February 11, 2021, Proposed by #13166, Effective 1/28/2021, Expires 1/28/2031.