517.19(B)(1) Critical Care Areas. Patient Bed Location Receptacles. Minimum Number and Supply.
Code Change Summary: The number of receptacles required at a patient bed location in the critical care area of a health care facility has been increased to 14.
Previously, the 2011 NEC® required at least 6 receptacles for each patient bed location in the critical care area of a health care facility. Now, the 2014 NEC® requires at least 14.
As new technology emerges, the patient bed location is becoming more and more populated with electrical machines and electromedical devices for the patient. Having nowhere to plug in when a specific machine is needed is unacceptable.
These receptacles can be single, duplex, quadruplex or any combination of the three in order to end up with at least 14. All receptacles for these areas must be listed as hospital grade.
Below is a preview of the NEC®. See the actual NEC® text at NFPA.ORG for the complete code section. Once there, click on the “free access” tab and select the applicable year of NFPA 70 (National Electrical code).
2011 Code Language:
517.19(B) Patient Bed Location Receptacles.
(1) Minimum Number and Supply. Each patient bed location shall be provided with a minimum of six receptacles, at least one of which shall be connected to either of the following:
(1) The normal system branch circuit required in 517.19(A)
(2) An emergency system circuit supplied by a different transfer switch than the other receptacles at the same patient bed location.
(2) Receptacle Requirements. The receptacles required in 517.19(B)(1) shall be permitted to be single, duplex, or quadruplex type or any combination thereof. All receptacles shall be listed “hospital grade” and shall be so identified. The grounding terminal of each receptacle shall be connected to the reference grounding point by means of an insulated copper equipment grounding conductor.
2014 Code Language:
517.19(B) Patient Bed Location Receptacles.
(1) Minimum Number and Supply. Each patient bed location shall be provided with a minimum of 14 receptacles, at least one of which shall be connected to either of the following:
(1) The normal system branch circuit required in 517.19(A)
(2) A critical branch circuit supplied by a different transfer switch than the other receptacles at the same patient bed location.
(2) Receptacle Requirements. The receptacles required in 517.19(B)(1) shall be permitted to be single, duplex, or quadruplex type or any combination thereof. All receptacles shall be listed “hospital grade” and shall be so identified. The grounding terminal of each receptacle shall be connected to the reference grounding point by means of an insulated copper equipment grounding conductor.