Section 575IAC1-9-22. Doors

   (a) The doors of any bus manufactured after January 1, 2015, must be a:

(1) split-type door that opens outward; or

(2) sedan-type door.

  (b) As follows, the passenger service door must:

(1) Be power or manually operated by the driver and must open easily but must not open accidentally. The controls for an air, vacuum, or electric powered service door must be located close to the driver's seat. A hand lever on a service door must be designed to prevent hand injuries.

(2) Be located on the side opposite the driver and within the driver's direct view.

(3) Except sedan-type doors, for doors on a Type A bus, have a minimum horizontal opening of twenty-four (24) inches and a minimum vertical opening of fifty-four (54) inches.

(4) Except sedan-type doors, for doors on Type B, Type C, and Type D buses, have a minimum horizontal opening of twenty-four (24) inches and a minimum vertical opening of sixty-eight (68) inches.

(5) Have a single glass panel for each door or lower and upper panels in each door, all made of safety glass. The bottom of the lower glass panel must not be more than thirty-five (35) inches from the ground when the bus is unloaded. The tops of the upper glass panels must not be more than six (6) inches from the top of the door.

(6) Have flexible material covering the vertical closing edges of each door.

(7) Have interior padding at least three (3) inches wide and one (1) inch thick, covering the full width of the top of each door opening.

  (c) There may be a driver's service door to the left of the driver's seat.

  (d) As follows, the emergency door must:

(1) Be located in the center of the back of the bus or in the back half of the driver's side of the bus.

(2) If located on the left side of a Type D bus, have an emergency push-out window at the rear of the bus that is at least sixteen (16) inches by fifty-four (54) inches.

(3) On a Type A bus, have a minimum horizontal opening of twenty-four (24) inches and a minimum vertical opening of forty-seven (47) inches, measured from the floor.

(4) On a Type B, Type C, or Type D bus, have a minimum horizontal opening of twenty-four (24) inches and a minimum vertical opening of forty-eight (48) inches, measured from the floor.

(5) Have the words "EMERGENCY DOOR" or "EMERGENCY EXIT" spelled in block-letters that are at least two (2) inches high, placed above the emergency door on both the interior and exterior of the bus.

(6) If hinged, the door must be operable from the inside and outside of the bus and be equipped with a fastening device that releases quickly but not accidentally. The device that that opens the emergency door from the outside must be designed to prohibit the hitching of rides. Each door must have a label on it that explains how to operate the door. Operation of the emergency door must not be controlled from the driver's seat.

(7) Be equipped with a slide-bar, cam-operated lock that has a minimum stroke of one (1) inch. All emergency door locks must have an electric plunger-type switch that is connected to a buzzer in the driver's compartment. The switch must be enclosed to prevent deactivation, and wires leading from the switch must be concealed in the bus body. Any movement of the slide-bar must immediately activate the switch and the buzzer. The emergency door lock must have an interior handle that extends approximately to the center of the emergency door. The lock may be released only by lifting the handle.

(8) Be hinged on the right side if the door is located in the back of the bus or be hinged on the front side if located on the driver's side of the bus.

(9) Have no steps leading to the emergency door.

(10) Contain at least four hundred (400) square inches of safety glass in the upper portion and three hundred fifty (350) square inches in the lower portion.

(11) Have an audible signal that alerts the driver when the emergency door is open.

(12) Have interior padding, at least three (3) inches wide and one (1) inch thick, covering the full width of the top of the door opening.

  (e) If using a flip seat, when the seat is upright, there must be at least twelve (12) inches between the forwardmost portion of the rear door opening and the back of the seat in front of the flip-up seat.

  (f) Passageway to the service and rear emergency doors must not be obstructed by any object, except as allowed in subsection (e).

  (g) Bulkhead doors must have a hold open device.

  (h) An anti-vandalism security device installed on the emergency doors must prevent the ignition system of the bus from activating if the emergency door is locked or inoperable from either the inside or the outside of the bus and must audibly alert the driver and prevent the engine from shutting off if the door lock is closed after the engine has started.

  (i) An anti-vandalism security device installed on the service door must be manufacturer designed and approved by the state school bus committee so that the door can be locked from only the outside. The device may be manually operated, or electrically operated if the device can be manually operated in the event of a power failure. (State School Bus Committee; 575 IAC 1-9-22; filed Aug 15, 2014, 10:20 a.m.: 20140910-IR-575130244FRA)