| (E) Panelboards. Panelboards serving normal lighting
and appliance circuits shall be located on the same floor as the circuits
they serve. Panelboards serving critical branch emergency circuits
may serve three floors, the floor where the panelboard is located,
the floor above and the floor below. Panelboards serving life safety
branch circuits may serve three floors, the floor where the panelboard
is located, and the floors above and below.
(i) Circuiting shall minimize the number of receptacles
on a single branch circuit, in order to limit the effects of a branch
circuit outage, caused by one faulted device. Any life-support equipment
on that circuit would be lost.
(ii) Loading of branch circuits is limited by NFPA
70, Articles 210, 220, and 384.
(F) Wiring. All conductors for controls, equipment,
lighting and power operating at 100 volts or higher shall be installed
in accordance with the requirements of NFPA 70, Article 517. All surface
mounted wiring operating at less than 100 volts shall be protected
from mechanical injury with metal raceways to a height of seven feet
above the floor. Conduits and cables shall be supported in accordance
with NFPA 70, Article 300.
(G) Lighting.
(i) Lighting intensity for staff and patient needs
shall comply with Chapter 17, Institution and Public Building Lighting,
Health Care Facilities, of the Illuminating Engineering Society of
North America (IES) Lighting Handbook, published by the IES, 345 East
47th Street, N.Y., N.Y. 10017.
(I) Consideration should be given to controlling intensity
and wavelength to prevent harm to the patient's eyes (i.e., cataracts
due to ultraviolet light).
(II) Approaches to buildings and parking lots, and
all spaces within buildings shall have fixtures that can be illuminated
as necessary. All rooms including storerooms, electrical and mechanical
equipment rooms, and all attics shall have sufficient artificial
lighting so that all parts of these spaces shall be clearly visible.
(III) Consideration should be given to the special
needs of the elderly. Excessive contrast in lighting levels that makes
effective sight adaptation difficult shall be minimized.
(ii) Means of egress and exit sign lighting intensity
shall comply with NFPA 101, §§7-8, 7-9 and 7-10.
(iii) Electric lamps which may be subject to breakage
or which are installed in fixtures in confined locations when near
woodwork, paper, clothing, or other combustible materials, shall be
protected by wire guards, or plastic shields.
(iv) Ceiling mounted examination light fixtures shall
be suspended from rigid support structures mounted above the ceiling.
(H) Receptacles. Only listed "hospital" grade single-grounding
or duplex-grounding receptacles shall be used in all patient care
areas. This does not apply to special purpose receptacles.
(i) Installations of multiple ganged receptacles shall
be permitted in patient care areas.
(ii) Electrical outlets powered from the critical branch
shall be provided in all patient care, procedure and treatment locations
in accordance with NFPA 99, §3-4.2.2.2(c). At least one receptacle
at each patient treatment or procedure location shall be powered from
the normal power panel.
(iii) Replacement of malfunctioning receptacles and
installation of new receptacles powered from the critical branch
in existing facilities shall be accomplished with receptacles of the
same distinct color as the existing receptacles.
(iv) In locations where mobile X-ray or other equipment
requiring special electrical configuration is used, the additional
receptacles shall be distinctively marked for the special use.
(v) Each receptacle shall be grounded to the reference
grounding point by means of a green insulated copper equipment grounding
conductor.
(I) Equipment.
(i) Equipment required for safe operation of the facility
shall be powered from the equipment system in accordance with the
requirements contained in NFPA 99, §3-4.2.2.3.
(ii) Boiler accessories including feed pumps, heat-circulating
pumps, condensate return pumps, fuel oil pumps, and waste heat boilers
shall be connected and installed to provide both normal and standby
service.
(J) Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI). GFCIs
shall comply with NFPA 70. When GFCIs are used in critical areas,
provisions shall be made to ensure that other essential equipment
is not affected by activation of one interrupter.
(K) Nurses calling systems. Three different types of
nurses calling systems are required to be installed in a facility:
a nurses regular calling system; a nurses emergency calling system;
and a staff emergency assistance calling system. The facility shall
comply with the requirements of this paragraph and any specific requirements
for nurses calling systems for the particular unit of the facility
in accordance with §134.123 of this title.
(i) A nurses regular calling system is intended for
routine communication between each patient and the nursing staff.
Activation of the system at a patient's regular calling station will
sound a repeating (every 20 seconds) audible signal at the nurse station,
indicate type and location of call on the system monitor, and activate
a distinct visible signal in the corridor at the patient suites door.
In multi-corridor nursing units, additional visible signals shall
be installed at corridor intersections. The audible signal shall be
canceled and two-way voice communication between the patient room
and the nursing staff shall be established at the unit's nursing
station when the call is answered by the nursing staff. The visible
signal(s) in the corridor shall be canceled upon termination of the
call. An alarm shall activate at the nurses station when the call
cable is unplugged.
(ii) A nurses emergency calling system shall be installed
in all toilets used by all patients to summon nursing staff in an
emergency. Activation of the system shall sound a repeating (every
5 seconds) audible signal at the nurse station, indicate type and
location of call on the system monitor, and activate a distinct visible
signal in the corridor at the patient suites door. In multi-corridor
nursing units, additional visible signals shall be installed at corridor
intersections. The visible and audible signals shall be cancelable
only at the patient calling station. Activation of the system shall
also activate distinct visible signals in the clean workroom, in the
soiled workroom, medication, charting, clean linen storage, nourishment,
nurse lounge and equipment storage. When conveniently located and
accessible from both the bathing and toilet fixtures, one emergency
call station may serve one bathroom. A nurses emergency call system
shall be accessible to a collapsed patient lying on the floor.
(iii) A staff emergency assistance calling system (code
blue) is intended to be used by staff to summon additional help in
an emergency. In open suites, an emergency assistant call system device
shall be located at the head of each bed and in each individual room.
The emergency assistance calling device can be shared between two
beds if conveniently located. Activation of the system will sound
an audible signal at the nursing unit's nurses station, indicate type
and location of call on the system monitor and activate a distinct
visible signal in the corridor at the patient suites door. In multi-corridor
nursing units, additional visible signals shall be installed at corridor
intersections. Activation of the system shall also activate visible
and audible signals in the clean workroom, in the soiled workroom,
medication, charting, clean linen storage, nourishment, equipment
storage, and examination/treatment room(s) with back up to a continuously
staffed area (other than the nurse station or an administrative center)
from which assistance can be summoned. The system shall have voice
communication capabilities so that the type of emergency or help required
may be specified.
(L) Emergency electric service. A Type I essential
electrical system shall be provided in each facility in accordance
with requirements of NFPA 99; NFPA 101, and National Fire Protection
Association 110, Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems,
1999 edition. Exception: Crisis stabilization units have the option
of providing a Type II essential electrical system in accordance with
the requirements of NFPA 99 and NFPA 101.
(i) The number of transfer switches to be used shall
be based on reliability, design and load considerations.
(ii) All wiring installation of the emergency system
of the essential electrical system shall be mechanically protected
in nonflexible metal raceways in compliance with NFPA 70, §517-30(c)(3).
Cont'd... |
