AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

July 28, 1999

AASA: BH #99-012

RE: RESTRICTED EGRESS

Dear Boarding Home Provider:

Aging and Disability Services Administration (AASA) has recently identified instances in boarding homes in which devices were installed on doors that restrict egress from a unity or the facility, without the approval of Construction Review Services. Such devices may be in the form of keypads, time delay panic hardware, or certain types of wanderguard systems. In some cases the installation may have occurred in an existing licensed boarding home and, in other cases, buildings were not built according to approved plans and egress-control devices were added to the original construction. Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 388-78A-070 (3) requires boarding homes
to obtain approval of Construction Review Services prior to the installation of such devices.

If your facility has installed any type of egress-control devices on doors without first obtaining the approval of plans by Construction Review Services, you are advised to promptly contact Construction Review Services to have the installation plans reviewed.

If you are not sure whether or not your facility had its plans for egress-control devices properly approved, you may call Dick Swanson, Supervisor of Construction Review Services, at (360) 705-6782. AASA will be reviewing egress-control devices during routine licensing inspections.

Sincerely,

Patricia Lashway, Director
Residential Care Services

cc: Dick Swanson