Hospital Grade and IEC standard

[ludilo]

I have some issues with a regulatory agency (outside US) because they claim there is no need to Hospital Grade receptacles, they justify their position because in the IEC standard there is no special requirements for the receptacles that will be used in a Hospital facility (nothing like the NEC!). There someone knows or have information about why IEC didn't have any regulation about Hospital Grade Receptacles?, How to justify the need of UL "green dot" in UL498? Advantajes of UL vrs IEC? Thanks

 

[jim dungar]

There are many reasons standards are different from each other.

It, sounds like you are trying to sell what you perceive is an enhancement or upgrade. This is a classic example of "apples versus oranges". You want to supply apples but your customer wants oranges.

Good luck.

 

[ludilo]

I understand that there are differences, but is not a matter of selling apples, or oranges, is a matter of safety, I belive UL has to have their reasons for improve the performance and the quality of Hospital Products and I need to know why IEC didn't have that feature, besides this there is a reason in the NEC for asking Hospital Grade as well.

 

[jim dungar]

Why do you believe that the IEC requirements are unsafe just because they are different?

UL has many standards that made sense many years ago but are now almost archaic. For example, in the old days most hospital equipment did not have the battery backup like it does now, so maintaining connection to the building grid was very important.

To really pass judgement you need to read the UL standard and see what is different between a Hospital Grade and any other device. There are some requirements like plug pull-out force and face impact resistance that can be duplicated by industrial grade devices or negated entirely by a strict regiment of device maintenance. Other features like "length/size of grounding pin" are unique.

 

[ludilo]

jim thanks for your comment, I am not saying is unsafe, that's exactly what I want to found out, I need to be 100% sure that IEC and UL are safe for the use and that my client will not loose protection, performance and specially safety in an installation where they want to eliminate all Hospital Grade requirements from UL. If you have a link to an Internet site or document it will be most appreciate in order to have everything clear. I am sure that IEC knows how to make things and that they appreciate all the safety issues. Thanks again your comment is most welcome.