HEALTHCARE
ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
How well do you know your patient care area installations? / ARK TSISSEREV, M.SC., P.ENG., FEC
one or more in-house electrical generator sets intended to be available if all other supplies fail, and capable of supplying all of the essential loads.
Z32-15 defines an essential electrical system as: an electrical system that has the capacity of restoring and sustaining a supply of electrical energy to special loads if the normal supply of energy is lost.
Section 6 of Z32-15 provides requirements for those essential electrical systems, and explains the essential electrical system consists of both the emergency equipment required by the NBC and special loads that are intended to provide effective and safe patient care in a healthcare facility. Z32-15 Table 6 classifies essential system loads and branches, and their intended performance (vital, delayed vital or conditional) for a specific type of patient care.
W
hich areas of a healthcare facility’s electrical system must be tested for voltage difference between ground points, for ground return path voltage rise in grounded systems, or for impedance to ground in isolated systems? Which loads in a healthcare facility are considered essential system loads, and what kind of power supply must be provided to them? These questions are often asked by the electrical designers and contractors, and the answers can be found within the following documents:
14
ELECTRICAL BUSINESS · May 2017
• National Building Code of Canada (NBC) • CE Code-Part I • CAN/CSA Z32-15 “Electrical safety and essential electrical systems in healthcare facilities” NBC Article 3.2.7.6. states an emergency electrical power supply system for emergency equipment required by the building code (i.e. for essential electrical system loads, as described in Section 24 of the CE Code) must be installed in conformance with CAN/CSA Z32-15. Z32-15 defines an emergency electrical power supply system as:
Some jurisdictions provide additional clarifications to electrical contractors on the application of Section 24 requirements.
So it seems some of the questions posed at the outset have been answered. But are there any differences in electrical installations between hospitals and, say, doctors’ offices? CE Code Section 24 helps bring clarification. First, some history: prior to the 2002 edition of the CE Code, Section 24 was limited only to electrical installation requirements in patient care areas of hospitals. When the 19th CE Code was published in 2002, the Scope of Section 24 had been expanded to cover installations within patient care areas of, not hospitals, but healthcare facilities. As such, the definition of “hospital” was deleted from Rule 24-002 “Special terminology” and a new definition for “healthcare facility” was added. EBMAG.COM
Photo: shutterstock.com
Is this correct for all healthcare facilities?