Utah Admin. Code R432-4-15 - General Construction, Patient Service Facilities

(1) This section supersedes any conflicting design and construction requirements.

(2) The applicant or licensee shall ensure that:

(a) nurse station locations permit visual observation of traffic into the unit;

(b) emergency department pediatric rooms provide soundproofing with a sound transmission insulation rating for walls and ceiling assemblies of not less than 50 STC;

(c) an emergency department uses exterior portable decontamination units or decontamination rooms within the building;

(d) a portable unit has the capability for heating shower water and for heating ventilation air;

(e) a patient hygiene shower with direct access to a sink and toilet is provided in the emergency department;

(f) a bereavement room is provided in the emergency department;

(g) separate pediatric and adult post-anesthesia care rooms are provided; and

(h) hyperbaric suites meet the requirements of this section.

(3) The applicant or licensee whose acute care hospital beds swing to nursing home care shall additionally comply with Rule R432-5.

(4) Except in a rural emergency hospital, a hospital applicant or licensee shall have at least one nursing unit of at least six beds containing patient rooms, patient care spaces, and service areas and shall ensure that:

(a) when more than one nursing unit shares spaces and service areas, as permitted in this rule, the service areas are contiguous to each nursing unit served;

(b) there are identifiable spaces for each of the required services; and

(c) facility services are accessible from common areas without compromising patient privacy.

(5) The applicant or licensee shall ensure that patient rooms are compliant with the individual construction rule for the license category and that:

(a) the closet in each patient room is a minimum of 22 inches deep by at least 22 inches wide, and high enough to hang full length garments and to accommodate two storage shelves; and

(b) pediatric units shall have at least one tub room with a bathtub, toilet, and sink convenient to the unit unless each patient room contains a tub in the toilet room.

(6) Laundry may be done within the facility, in a separate building on or offsite, or in a commercial or shared laundry.

(7) If laundry is processed by an outside commercial laundry, the applicant or licensee shall provide:

(a) a separate room for receiving and holding soiled linen until ready for transport;

(b) a central, clean linen storage and issuing room to accommodate linen storage for four days' operation or two normal deliveries, whichever is greater; and

(c) handwashing facilities in each area where un-bagged, soiled linen is handled.

(8) If the applicant or licensee processes their own laundry, either within the facility or in a separate building, the applicant or licensee shall provide:

(a) a receiving, holding, and sorting room for control and distribution of soiled linen;

(b) a washing room with handwashing facilities and commercial equipment that can process a seven-day accumulation of laundry within a regularly scheduled work week;

(c) a drying room with enough dryers for the quantity and type of laundry being processed; and

(d) a clean linen storage room with enough space and shelving to store one-half of any linens and personal clothing being processed.

(9) Soiled linen chutes shall discharge directly into the receiving room or in a room separated from the washing room, drying room, and clean linen storage.

(10) The applicant or licensee may provide prewash facilities in the receiving, holding, and sorting rooms.

(11) If the applicant or licensee processes their own laundry, the applicant or licensee may use either a two- or three-room configuration.

(a) A two-room configuration shall consist of:

(i) a room housing washers, soiled linen receiving, sorting, holding, and prewash facilities, and handwashing facilities; and

(ii) a room housing dryers, clean linen folding, sorting, and storage facilities, and handwashing facilities.

(b) A three-room configuration shall consist of:

(i) a soiled linen receiving, sorting, and holding room with prewash and handwashing facilities;

(ii) a combination washer and dryer room arranged so linen flows from the soiled receiving area to the washers, then to the dryers, and then to clean storage; and

(iii) a clean storage room with folding, sorting, storage, and handwashing facilities.

(c) In either a two or three-room configuration, the following shall occur:

(i) self-closing doors maintain physical separation between rooms;

(ii) air moves from the clean area to the soiled area and air from the soiled area is exhausted directly to the outside;

(iii) handwashing sinks are located within each laundry area to maintain the functional separation of the clean and soiled processes;

(iv) rooms are arranged to prevent the transport of soiled laundry through clean areas and the transport of clean laundry through soiled areas;

(v) there is convenient access to employee lockers and lounges;

(vi) there is storage for laundry supplies; and

(vii) there is a cart storage area for separate parking of clean and soiled linen carts away from normal traffic paths.

Notes

Utah Admin. Code R432-4-15

Adopted by Utah State Bulletin Number 2025-07, effective 3/14/2025