| (D) Services and switchboards. Electrical service and switchboards serving the required hospital components shall be installed above the designated 100-year flood plain. Main switchboards shall be located in separate rooms, separated from adjacent areas with one-hour fire rated enclosures containing only electrical switchgear and distribution panels and shall be accessible to authorized persons only. These rooms shall be ventilated to provide an environment free of corrosive or explosive fumes and gases, or any flammable and combustible materials. Switchboards shall be located convenient for use and readily accessible for maintenance as required by NFPA 70, Article 384. Overload protective devices shall operate properly in ambient temperatures. (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 shall be located on each floor that has major users (operating rooms, delivery suites, intensive care, etc.) and may also serve 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. (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 guidelines for health care facilities set forth in the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) Handbook, 2000 edition, published by the IESNA, 120 Wall Street, Floor 17, New York, New York 10005. (I) Consideration should be given to controlling intensity and wavelength to prevent harm to the patient's eyes (i.e., retina damage to premature infants and cataracts due to ultraviolet light). (II) Approaches to buildings and parking lots, shall be illuminated. 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 - 7.10. (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 surgical and 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 not 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, §4.4.2.2.2.3. 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. (vi) All critical care area receptacles shall be identified. The face plate for the receptacle(s) shall have a nonremovable label or be engraved indicating the panel and circuit number. (I) Equipment. (i) Equipment required for safe operation of the hospital shall be powered from the equipment system in accordance with the requirements contained in NFPA 99, §4.4.2.2.3. (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. (iii) Laser equipment shall be installed according to manufacturer recommendations and shall be registered with the Radiation Branch, Department of State Health Services, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756. (J) Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI). GFCI receptacles shall be provided for all general use receptacles located within three feet of a wash basin or sink. When GFCI receptacles are used, they shall be connected to not affect other devices connected to the circuit in the event of a trip. Receptacles connected to the critical branch that may be used for equipment that should not be interrupted do not have to be GFCI protected. Receptacles in wet locations, as defined by NFPA 70, §517.20 and §517.21, shall be GFCI protected regardless of the branch of the electrical system serving the receptacle. (K) Grounding requirements. In areas such as critical care units and special nurseries where a patient may be treated with an internal probe or catheter connected to the heart, the ground system shall comply with applicable sections of NFPA 99 and NFPA 70. (L) Nurses calling systems. Three different types of nurses calling systems are required to be installed in a hospital: a nurses regular calling system; a nurses emergency calling system; and a staff emergency assistance calling system. The hospital shall comply with the requirements of this subparagraph in addition to any specific requirements for nurses calling systems for the particular unit of the hospital in accordance with §133.163 and Table 7 of §133.169(g) of this title. Where required in this subparagraph, a distinct visible signal is provided when a colored dome light lamp, or particular combination of colored lamps is used for only one type of call. Different flash rates do not meet this requirement. (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 or less) distinct 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. Calls shall activate visible signals in accordance with Table 7 of §133.169(g) of this title. 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 patients to summon nursing staff in an emergency. Activation of the system shall sound a repeating (every 5 seconds or less) a distinct 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. Calls shall activate visible signals in accordance with Table 7 of §133.169(g) of this title. 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. Inclusion of a pull cord extending to within six inches of the floor will satisfy this requirement. (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 a distinct audible signal at the nursing unit's nurses station or at a staffed control station of a suite, department or unit, indicate type and location of call on the system monitor and activate a distinct visible Cont'd... |
