No switched receptacles in patient room?

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brother

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"I have learned, in whatsoever STATE I am, therewi
Can someone help me out here. Had a buddy say AN Inspector says you cannot have switched receptacles in patient rooms. I cannot find it in the NEC or the NFPA 99.

I will admit I can understand the design preference for not doing it but to say it's a code violation is going overboard. BEFORE this guy is challenged on this issue I just wanted to hear from others.
 
LEO2854

LEO2854

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brother said:
Can someone help me out here. Had a buddy say AN Inspector says you cannot have switched receptacles in patient rooms. I cannot find it in the NEC or the NFPA 99.

I will admit I can understand the design preference for not doing it but to say it's a code violation is going overboard. BEFORE this guy is challenged on this issue I just wanted to hear from others.
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I just looked through 517 and could not find that either,maybe it's a local amendment .
 
mgookin

mgookin

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Fort Myers, FL
brother said:
Not sure what difference this would make, but this is a hospital, and the room is for general care. Not sure about the type of patients, some are real sick and some are not.
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An ICU is much different than mental health or even veterinary, physical therapy, etc.

Here in FL the hospitals are regulated by the state AHCA (agency for health care administration) and all hospital plans must be approved by them before going to the local AHJ for a permit. Your profile does not say what state you are in; I suggest you find out if your state has a similar board who has regulatory authority and check with them.

As to whether FL AHCA or any other state prohibits switched receptacles in patient rooms, I don't know. That's something that would be addressed before we ever got a permit set of plans.
 
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ASG

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Electrical Engineer, PE
Is it a receptacle that is required by Code or is it an additional receptacle to the mandatory ones?
 
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brother

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ASG said:
Is it a receptacle that is required by Code or is it an additional receptacle to the mandatory ones?
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Its my understanding that it is additional not mandatory.

This patient room has a switched receptacle for the bed power and a switch built into the bottom of the overbed light. That keeps them from raising the bed and ripping the light off the wall with the IV pole.Now, I have been told that they do not do that anymore and it's more of a code violation. I was told that when they needed power the most, the switched receptacle did not work because of a bad switch.

I was also told that nurses and staff did not consistently plug the bed back into the correct switched receptacle on too many occasions. Basically defeating the purpose of having it in the first place.

I do understand the reasoning, but to say its a code violation to have a switched receptacle in patient rooms, I just do not see that in the NEC or NFPA 99. If someone finds it let me know.
 
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