ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area paitent care vs patient sleeping

I see where 517.16 restricts the use of IG receptacles in these areas anyway, but I don’t know where there is a restriction elsewhere in the code for using hospital grade receptacles in locations other than health care facilities, since as far as I can tell, all the green dot, hospital grade rating indicates is that they are an extra heavy-duty receptacle that meets the NEMA and/or UL standards for use in health care facilities. Any redundant grounding would seem to take place ahead of the receptacle itself, so IMO anyway, it shouldn’t have any effect on the use of the receptacle. I guess if someone wants to spend that kind of dough for their receptacles, they can put them just about anywhere they want.

Greg,

Was that part of the discussion I had with a dental chair needing redundant grounding?

This was more of a reaction to a comment that some health care facility maintenance department was using HFC receptacles everywhere. Wouldn't that create a situation where you would not be sure what was an HFC compliant circuit and what wasn't without opening up the box? (similar to the IG situation)

It might be easy to assume that if all the receptacles in a room were HFC, the room was built to HFC standards.

Greg:

I should have responded to your post sooner than this. Yes, it does give a 'false' impression that the circuitry is HCF compliant, when in some locations it is not. However, as the renovations continue any area that is being renovated is being wired with HCF cable or conduit. This reasoning is for future possibility of using 'any' of the renovated areas for patient care areas in an emergency, or 'over capacity' situation.

I suppose the problem is when you have a rock soup renovation. A room just starts creeping from office space to patient care a little at a time and might be done without any permits.

Greg:

That is not an issue at the hospital!

A few nearby office buildings that are constantly 'revolving door' space for various 'medical professionals' is where the unprofessionsl, and sometimes "scary" work happens. I even had a so called EC attempt to correct violations by actually green spray painting the NMC, to show me 'it's hospital grade'.