ARTICLE 517
Health Care Facilities
FPN: Rules that are followed by a reference in brackets contain text that has been extracted from NFPA 99-2005, Standard for Health Care Facilities, and NFPA /0/-2OO6, Life Safety Code. Only editorial changes were made to the extracted text to make it consistent with this Code.
I. General
517.1 Scope. The provisions of this article shall apply to electrical construction and installation criteria in health care facilities that provide services to human beings.
The requirements in Parts II and III not only apply to single-function buildings but are also intended to be individually applied to their respective forms of occupancy within a multifunction building (e.g., a doctor's examining room located within a limited care facility would be required to meet the provisions of 517.10).
FPN: For information concerning performance, maintenance, and testing criteria, refer to the appropriate health care facilities documents.
517.2 Definitions.
Alternate Power Source. One or more generator sets, or battery systems where permitted, intended to provide power during the interruption of the normal electrical services or the public utility electrical service intended to provide power during interruption of service normally provided by the generating facilities on the premises.
Ambulatory Health Care Occupancy. A building or portion thereof used to provide services or treatment simultaneously to four or more patients that provides, on an outpatient basis, one or more of the following:
(1) Treatment for patients that renders the patients incapable of taking action for self-preservation under emergency conditions without assistance of others.
(2) Anesthesia that renders the patients incapable of taking action for self-preservation under emergency conditions without the assistance of others.
(3) Emergency or urgent care for patients who, due to the nature of their injury or illness, are incapable of taking action for self-preservation under emergency conditions without the assistance of others. [701:3.3.168.1]
Anesthetizing Location. Any area of a facility that has been designated to be used for the administration of any flammable or nonflammable inhalation anesthetic agent in the course of examination or treatment, including the use of such agents for relative analgesia.
Critical Branch. A subsystem of the emergency system consisting of feeders and branch circuits supplying energy to task illumination, special power circuits, and selected receptacles serving areas and functions related to patient care and that are connected to alternate power sources by one or more transfer switches during interruption of normal power source. [99:3.3.26]
Electrical Life-Support Equipment. Electrically powered equipment whose continuous operation is necessary to maintain a patient's life. [99:3.3.37]
Emergency System. A system of circuits and equipment intended to supply alternate power to a limited number of prescribed functions vital to the protection of life and safety. [99:3.3.41]
Equipment System. A system of circuits and equipment arranged for delayed, automatic, or manual connection to the alternate power source and that serves primarily 3-phase power equipment.
Essential Electrical System. A system comprised of alternate sources of power and all connected distribution systems and ancillary equipment, designed to ensure continuity of electrical power to designated areas and functions of a health care facility during disruption of normal power