Section 350.3880  General Building Requirements

a)         Stairway Dimensions

1)         If a facility has a stairway, the stairway must have a minimum headroom of six feet, eight inches and a maximum height of 12 feet between landings.  A minimum clear width of three feet is required, except for handrails which may project three and one-half inches on each side.  A handrail is required only on one side of the stairs.  Width of treads, exclusive of nosing or projection, may not be less than nine inches.  Risers may not be more than eight inches.  Every stairway landing shall be at least as deep as the width of any stairway door which opens onto the landing.  Stairways with triangular or winding treads are permissible providing the stairways are at least three feet wide and the width of each tread is not narrower than six inches at any point. A stairway consisting of a single riser is not acceptable.  (B)

2)         For facilities licensed on or before October 1, 1987, the following exceptions to subsection (a)(1) of this Section shall apply:

A)        For all stairways, a minimum clear width of 26 inches (rather than three feet) is required.

B)        For stairways with triangular or winding treads, the stairway may be no less than 26 inches wide (rather than three feet) and the width of each tread may be narrower than six inches for up to 25 percent of the tread.

C)        Such facilities must comply with any additional requirements which may be imposed by the State Fire Marshal.

b)         Handrails at stairways shall be one and one-half inches in diameter and one and one-half inches minimum clear of the wall.

c)         Every facility shall have a ceiling height of seven feet, six inches or more, throughout all rooms occupied or used by residents.  Any projection from the ceiling shall have a clearance of at least six feet, eight inches from the floor. Ceiling heights of basements may be seven feet.

d)         Every required exit door to the outside shall be of the side hinged swinging type, and have a minimum width of 36 inches.

e)         Locks on exterior doors shall not require the use of a key for operation from the inside of the building.

f)         Every door shall have a latch or other fastening device, which can be released by a simple type of releasing device, such as a knob, handle or panic bar.  The method of operating all such releasing devices shall be obvious, even in the dark.

g)         The floor on both sides of a door in a means of egress shall be the same elevation on both sides of the door, a distance equal to the width of the widest single door shall be maintained at the landing.  When the door discharges to the outside or to an exterior balcony, exterior exit, or exterior exit access, the floor level outside the door may be one step lower than the inside, but not more than eight inches lower. However, at the two required exits at the first floor there can be no step.  This is to provide accessibility for handicapped staff or visitors, if administration and public areas are located within the facility.

h)         Every facility shall have either swinging or sliding exterior doors. However, all exterior doors in required means of egress must be of the side-hinged, swinging type. Door closers and panic hardware are not required.

i)          The doors for the toilet rooms used by residents shall have a minimum door width of 28 inches.  (B)

j)          The doors for the resident bedrooms shall have a minimum door width of 30 inches.  Automatic closers are not required on resident bedroom doors.  (B)

k)         Elevators are not required in an ICF/DD of 16 Beds or Less.

(Source:  Amended at 15 Ill. Reg. 466, effective January 1, 1991)