Ala. Admin. Code r. 580-3-22-.12

Substance Abuse Day Services

This rule establishes minimum physical facility standards for Substance Abuse Outpatient Programs and Opiate Replacement Programs in Alabama, covering fire safety equipment, severe weather planning, ADA compliance, means of egress, restrooms, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and general maintenance requirements. Facilities must obtain a Temporary Operating Authority (TOA) from the Alabama Department of Mental Health before occupancy. Operators are responsible for monthly and annual testing of fire and emergency systems and must maintain written records for inspection. These standards apply to the physical plant only and do not address clinical programming.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 580-3-22-.12 - Substance Abuse Day Services 

 State Regulations 

 Compare

(1)
 These minimum standards are for Substance
 Abuse Outpatient Programs and Opiate Replacement Programs. In addition to these
 standards, the most current edition of the NFPA 101, 
Life Safety Code,
 Business Occupancies,
 International Building Code and National
 Electrical Code shall apply.

(2)

 The facility cannot be occupied until the Commissioner issues a Temporary
 Operating Authority (TOA) granting temporary operating authority or
 certification based on compliance with the DMH/MR minimum standards. The above
 referenced facilities shall be classified by DMH/MR Minimum Physical Facility
 Standards as Substance Abuse Day Services. 
 
(a)

FIRE SAFETY EQUIPMENT

1.
 Fire alarm systems shall be installed,
 tested and maintained in accordance with NFPA 70, 
National Electrical
 code,
 and NFPA 72, 
National Fire Alarm Code
 where any
 one of the following conditions exists:
(i)

 The building is 2 or more stories in height above the level of exit
 discharge.

(ii)
 The occupancy is
 subject to 50 or more occupants above or below the level of exit
 discharge.

(iii)
 The occupancy is
 subject to 300 or more total occupants at any given time of the day.

2.
 Portable fire extinguishers
 shall be installed, inspected, and maintained in accordance with NFPA 10,
 
Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers
. 
 
(i)
 A minimum of (1) 10 lb ABC in hallway and
 (1) 5 lb ABC fire extinguisher in kitchen shall be provided.

(ii)
 Size of fire extinguisher refers to
 Charge Weight.

(iii)
 Mount top of
 fire extinguisher 5 feet above the floor.

(iv)
 A service tag shall be provided from a
 certified fire equipment service company for each fire extinguisher.

(v)
 Fire extinguishers shall be visually
 checked, dated and initialed on rear of service tag each month by the facility
 operator.

3.
 Battery
 pack emergency lighting shall be installed in hallways, pharmacy or other
 locations as required for illuminating the paths of travel from areas of the
 facility to designated exits.
(i)
 Emergency
 lighting functional testing shall be conducted by the facility operator monthly
 for a period of not less than 30 seconds and annually for not less than 90
 minutes.

(ii)
 The emergency
 equipment must remain fully operational for the duration of the test.

(iii)
 Written records of visual inspections
 and tests shall be kept by the facility operator for inspection by the
 authority having jurisdiction.

(b)

SEVERE WEATHER PLAN.

A Severe Weather Plan,
 approved by the program's executive
 director, will be developed for each site of the program and will be available
 for review.

(c)

MAINTENANCE

1.
 Facilities must be
 free of hazards, structurally sound and maintained throughout (e.g., sill,
 joist, pier, foundation, walls, roof and other areas.).

2.
 Insulation in walls, floors and ceilings
 in any room, including utility rooms, closets and garages, must be covered with
 finished material.

(d)

ADA REQUIREMENTS

1.
 The
 specifications in this rule make buildings and facilities accessible to and
 usable by people with such physical disabilities as the inability to walk,
 difficulty walking, reliance on walking aids, blindness and visual impairment,
 deafness and hearing impairment, incoordination, reaching and manipulation
 disabilities, lack of stamina, difficulty interpreting and reacting to sensory
 information, and extremes of physical size based generally upon adult
 dimensions (as cited by American National Standard, Accessible and Usable
 Building and Facilities, Council of American Building Officials CABO/ANSI
 A117.1992).

2.
 Facilities serving
 physically disabled or non-ambulatory persons using or confined to a walker or
 wheelchair shall comply with Federal Guidelines for the accessibility for
 disabled persons. These requirements include toileting facilities, complete
 facility access and parking. Where bathing facilities are provided, they must
 comply with ADA standards. Facilities must comply with ADA requirements for
 total access to and inside the facility.

(e)

MEANS OF EGRESS

1.
 These facilities shall have 2 separate
 exits provided on every story and accessible from every part of every story
 
(Life Safety Code, Business Occupancies).

2.
 A single exit shall be permitted for a
 room or area with a total occupant load of fewer than 100 persons if they meet
 the following criteria:
(i)
 The exit shall
 discharge directly to the outside at the level of exit discharge for the
 building.

(ii)
 The total distance
 of travel from any point, including travel within the exit, shall not exceed
 100 ft.

(iii)
 Other exceptions may
 apply.

3.
 The primary
 means of egress shall be a door not less than 32 inches in width.

4.
 Doors on facilities with physically
 disabled persons must comply with ADA Standards.

5.
 Means of egress shall be marked with
 illuminated exit signs.

(f)

RESTROOMS

1.
 A minimum of 1 restroom, (toilet and
 lavatory) shall be provided for each 15 persons or portion thereof including
 staff.

2.
 Restrooms must have
 access from a common area of the facility.

(g)

ROOM CEILINGS AND HALLWAYS

1.
 The width of hallways shall be not less
 than 36 inches and the height not less than 7 feet 6 inches.

2.
 The height of room ceilings shall not be
 less than 7 feet 6 inches.

3.

 Existing facilities which fit the definition of this code will not be subject
 to the minimum ceiling height as stated above.

(h)

DOORS

1.
 Doors in the path of travel to the means
 of egress shall be not less than 32 inches wide and not less than 6 feet 8
 inches high.

2.
 Restrooms and
 closet doors shall be not less than 24 inches wide.

3.
 Doors on facilities with physically
 disabled persons must comply with ADA standards.

4.
 Doors shall not have more than 2 locking
 devices.
(i)
 No double key dead bolt locks are
 allowed.

(ii)
 Keys shall be
 maintained by designated staff members at all times on the premises.

5.
 Any door in a required means of
 egress from an area having an occupant load of 100 or more persons shall be
 provided with panic hardware.

(i)

STAIRS

1.
 Stairs serving as a required means of
 egress shall be of permanent fixed construction and shall have handrails on
 both sides of the steps that are not less than 34 inches nor more than 38
 inches above the surface of the tread.

2.
 In new construction, the minimum height of
 risers must be a minimum of 4 inches and maximum of 7 inches in height, and a
 minimum tread depth of 11 inches.

3.
 In existing construction, the maximum
 height of risers must be 8 inches and the minimum tread depth must be 9
 inches.

4.
 Stairs must be uniform
 in design.

(j)

SEPARATION OF ROOMS

1.
 The
 laundry room shall be separated by a door or a wall from all food preparation
 or serving areas.

2.
 No bathroom
 shall open directly to any food preparation or serving areas.

(k)

PORCHES AND
 LANDINGS

1.
 Porches and landings shall
 have guardrails not less than 42 inches high when any portion of the porch or
 landing equals or exceeds 24 inches above ground level.

2.
 Open guards, other than approved existing
 open guards, shall have rails or an ornamental pattern such that an object 4
 inches in diameter is not able to pass through any opening up to a height of 34
 inches.

(l)

SMOKING REGULATIONS

1.
 Smoking is
 not allowed inside any facility.

2.

 Smoking is allowed only in designated exterior areas or on smoking porches
 which have ventilation. A nonflammable container must be provided for
 disposal.

(m)

FLAMMABLES AND COMBUSTIBLES

1.

 Flammable or combustible liquids shall not be stored inside the
 facility.

(n)

OPEN
 FLAME DEVICES.
 No candles, incense, oil lamps or lanterns shall be
 allowed to be used inside the facility.

(o)

COOLING/HEATING/VENTILATION

1.
 Windows and doors used for ventilation
 shall have screens which are maintained in good condition.

2.
 If a facility, home, or apartment is
 subject to DMH/MR certification (see
 
580-3-22-.01
(8)
 
 and 580-3-22.13(1)), then the air temperature within the facility shall be
 maintained between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit measured at a distance of 3
 feet above the floor.

3.
 Mechanical
 ventilation (exhaust fans) shall be provided in each bathroom.

4.
 Ceiling fans shall be installed to
 maintain a minimum clearance of 7 feet between the finished floor and the
 ceiling fan blades.

5.
 Do not
 locate smoke detectors under or within 3 feet of ceiling fan blades or air
 supply diffusers or returns.

6.
 No
 heater shall have exposed electric elements and shall be equipped with tip-over
 devices for automatic shutoff.

7.

 Fireplaces and fossil-fuel stoves (wood burning) shall have partitions or
 screens or other means to prevent burns.
(i)

 Fireplaces shall be vented to the outside.

(ii)
 No unvented fuel heaters or gas logs are
 allowed.

(iii)
 Gas fireplaces shall
 have a remote gas shutoff within the room and not inside the
 fireplace.

8.
 Wood
 burning or gas logs cannot be used as a primary heat source. 
 
(i)
 DMH/MR approval must be obtained for
 emergency use only on a case by case basis.

(ii)
 Emergency use of a fireplace as a
 primary heat source must be approved by DMH/MR. In its request the facility
 must represent, and be able to document, that the fireplace has been inspected
 and cleaned in the past 2 years.

(p)

APPLIANCE/ELECTRICAL/COMMUNICATION

1.
 For all new construction, electrical
 outlets located within rooms containing a water source shall be GFCI type
 outlets or shall be connected to a GFCI breaker. Existing facilities, as
 defined herein, shall have GFCI type outlets in kitchens and bathrooms, or the
 outlets in those rooms shall be connected to a GFCI breaker.

2.
 No extension cords shall be used as a
 permanent wiring source.

3.

 Multi-plug type electrical devices shall be equipped with an approved in-line
 surge protector or breaker.

4.
 For
 a new facility, a letter from a licensed electrician shall be provided stating
 that wiring, panels and fixtures are safe and adequate, installed in accordance
 with local, state and national electrical codes. The letter shall be on company
 letterhead with name, address, contact number and electrician license number.
 Facilities providing written documentation of code compliance from a state or
 local building official shall be exempt from this standard.

5.
 Electrical breaker/fuse panels shall
 contain interior cover plates and blank covers where breakers are
 missing.

6.
 Electrical breaker/fuse
 panels are required to have operational locks.

7.
 Breakers/fuses shall be labeled as to the
 location of the circuits.

8.

 Telephone service shall be provided in each facility.

(q)

LIGHTING

1.
 Lighting on the interior and the exterior
 of the facility shall have proper size and type light bulbs installed and light
 fixtures and lamps shall have shields, globes, protective tubes or shades in
 good condition.

2.
 Lighting in
 domestic exhaust vent hoods above kitchen stoves shall be the shatter resistant
 (Teflon coated) light bulbs or be protected with shields as provided by the
 hood manufacturer.

(r)

WATER SUPPLY

1.
 Water supply
 shall be provided under pressure and obtained from an approved local water
 authority.

2.
 If a private water
 source is used, the facility operator shall obtain approval from the local
 health department to ensure safe location, construction, maintenance and
 operation of the system.

3.
 The
 water shall be tested annually and documentation maintained at the facility for
 review.

(s)

PLUMBING/SEWAGE

1.
 Plumbing shall
 be functional and in good working order.

2.
 Sewage and liquid waste shall be disposed
 of in accordance with city, county, and state regulations.

(t)

CONTROL OF INSECTS/RODENTS.

 Proper measures for year-round control of insects, rodents, and other outdoor
 vermin shall be taken.

(u)

SOLID WASTE

1.
 Kitchen garbage
 shall be stored in approved containers with tops or lids in place at all
 times.

2.
 Garbage containers shall
 be cleaned and emptied on a frequent basis.

(v)

INTERIOR FINISH (FLOOR COVERINGS,
 WALLS, CEILINGS)

1 
.
 Floor coverings, walls and ceilings shall be
 maintained free of dirt, holes and excessive stains.

2.
 Floor coverings shall be properly secured
 to sub-flooring.

3.
 Carpeting, if
 used as a floor covering, shall be properly installed, easily cleaned and
 maintained in good repair.

4.

 Carpeting is prohibited in restrooms.

(w)

FURNITURE.
 Broken furniture
 or furniture with torn upholstery shall be repaired or discarded.

(x)

EXTERIOR

1.
 Deteriorated wood on the exterior of a
 facility shall be replaced.

2.
 When
 exterior paint shows chipping and peeling, facility shall be painted or be
 covered with artificial siding.

3.

 Non-slab constructed facilities shall have underpinning and access doors shall
 be maintained in a closed position.

4.
 Ventilation openings on raised foundations
 shall have grills.

(y)

OUTSIDE GROUNDS

1.
 Exterior areas
 shall have proper drainage with no standing water, open sewage, sink lines or
 defects of this nature.

2.
 The area
 shall be kept clean and free of tall grass or weeds.

3.
 There shall be no discarding of cooking
 waste, mop water and hazardous materials on exterior grounds.

4.
 There shall be no unprotected wells,
 natural or man-made hazards or other obvious physical danger (e.g. broken
 appliances, inoperable vehicles which do not have current license plates,
 broken furniture, rubbish, debris, etc.)

Notes

Ala. Admin. Code
 r. 
580-3-22-.12

New Rule: Filed November
 21, 2008; effective December 26, 2008.

Author:
 DMH/MR Office of Life Safety and
 Technical Services

Statutory Authority:

Code of Ala.
 1975,

 §
 
22-50-11
.

State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available.
 Below is a 
comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release.

 More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.

 No prior version found.

 State Regulations Toolbox