Elevator accessibility requirements for the physically handicapped.

(1) Each elevator, the installation of which is begun after October 1, 1990, must be made accessible to physically handicapped persons with the following requirements:

(a) In a building having any elevators that do not provide access to every floor level, elevator hallway call buttons on all main levels of ingress and on any floor that is commonly served by more than one group of elevators must be marked with Arabic and braille symbols that indicate floor levels to which access is provided. The symbols must be placed directly above each call button.

(b) Each elevator car interior must have a support rail on at least one wall. All support rails must be smooth and have no sharp edges and must not be more than 1 1/2 inches thick or 2 1/2 inches in diameter. At least one support rail must be continuous and a minimum length of 42 inches overall. The inside surface of support rails must be 1 1/2 inches clear of the car wall. The distance from the top of the support rail to the finished car floor must be at least 31 inches and not more than 33 inches. Padded or tufted material or decorative materials such as wallpaper, vinyl, cloth, or the like may not be used on support rails.

(c) Each elevator covered by this section must be available to be used at any time to assist the physically handicapped in an emergency evacuation. The requirements of the latest revision of s. 2.27 of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Standard ASME A17.1 must be complied with to meet the requirements of this paragraph.

(d) Interior surface of car enclosures must be of fire-resistive material, and walls must be surfaced with nonabrasive material. All materials exposed to the car interior must conform to the standards of the Elevator Safety Code.

(e) A bench or seat may be installed on the rear wall of the elevator car enclosure, if the bench or seat does not protrude beyond the vertical plane of the elevator car enclosure wall when folded into a recess provided for the bench or seat and, when not in use, the bench or seat automatically folds into the recess. The bench or seat must be capable of supporting a live load of at least 250 pounds on any 12-inch by 12-inch area. A padded, tufted, or other decorative material may not be used to cover the bench or seat; nor may the bench or seat encroach on the minimum clear-inside-car dimensions specified in this section.

(2) Any building that is more than three stories high or in which the vertical distance between the bottom terminal landing and the top terminal landing exceeds 25 feet must be constructed to contain at least one passenger elevator that is operational and will accommodate an ambulance stretcher 76 inches long and 24 inches wide in the horizontal position.

(3) This section applies only to elevators available for the transportation of the public. This section does not apply to elevators restricted by key or similar device to a limited number of persons in a building that has an elevator that otherwise meets the requirements of this section or to elevators used only for the transportation of freight. However, elevators that are used as freight and passenger elevators for the public and employees must comply with this section. This section does not apply to dumbwaiters or escalators.

(4) This section supersedes all other state laws and regulations and local ordinances and rules affecting the accessibility of passenger elevators to the physically handicapped, and the standards established by this section may not be modified by municipal or county ordinance.