Advances in medical technology have resulted in more medical appliances and equipment being used in general-care and critical-care patient bed locations. The governing body of the healthcare facility typically determines the level of care in a given area.

There were significant changes in the 2014 National Electrical Code (NEC) relative to the minimum number of receptacles required at patient bed locations. The minimum number of required receptacles in general-care bed locations was four. It was six critical-care bed locations, and there never really was a minimum number required for operating rooms. This article takes a closer look at changes in NEC Article 517 regarding the minimum number of required receptacles in each of these locations. The following patient bed locations (patient-care spaces) are defined in 517.2 and promote consistent application of the related Code rules.

• Patient bed location: The location of a patient sleeping bed or the bed or procedure table of a critical-care area [99:3.3.136]
• General-care space: Space in which failure of equipment or a system is likely to cause minor injury to patients or caregivers
• Critical-care space: Space in which failure of equipment or a system is likely to cause major injury or death to patients or caregivers

There is a hierarchy in the level of care relative to the degree of care, critical care being the highest degree of urgency. Let’s look at the changes in each of the bed locations in these spaces regarding the new minimum number of receptacles.

General care

The minimum number of receptacles required in a general-care patient bed location has been four for several years. The revision in 517.18(B) aligns with Section 6.3.2.2.6.2 (A) of the 2012 edition of NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code. A minimum of eight receptacles must now be installed in general-care patient bed locations, and they must be listed as “hospital grade” and be so identified with a green dot. The branch-circuit equipment grounding conductor connected to the grounding terminal of these receptacles is required to be insulated, copper and sized in accordance with NEC Table 250.122. Each general-care patient bed location must also be provided with a minimum of two branch circuits, one from the normal system and one from the critical branch. All normal system branch circuits must originate from the same panelboard. The minimum number of receptacles builds power redundancy in the patient bed location and requires a minimum of two branch circuits, one from the critical branch and one from the normal branch, to supply these receptacles, ensuring reliability and continuity of service. In other words, the receptacle power is from more than one source so as to not have all of the eggs in one basket, as the saying goes.

Critical care

For several years, the minimum number of receptacles required in a critical-care patient bed location had been six. The revision in NEC 517.19(B) increases the minimum number required to align Section 6.3.2.2.6.2 (B) of NFPA 99. A minimum of 14 receptacles must now be installed in patient bed locations in critical-care areas, and they must be listed and identified as “hospital grade.” The branch-circuit equipment grounding conductor connected to the grounding terminal of these receptacles is also required to be insulated copper. At least one of the 14 receptacles shall be connected to either the normal system branch circuit required in 517.19(A) or a critical branch circuit supplied by a different transfer switch than the other receptacles at the same patient bed location. The other revision in this section in list item (2) removes the term “essential branch” and replaces it with the term “critical branch.”

The NEC now addresses the minimum number of receptacles required in an operating room. Healthcare advanced techniques and modern medical technology require significantly more medical appliance and equipment use in operating rooms. Section 6.3.2.2.6.2 of NFPA 99 was revised by increasing the number of receptacles in operating rooms. Section 517.19(C) of the NEC is new and requires operating rooms to be provided with a minimum of 36 receptacles. They all must be listed and identified as “hospital grade.” The branch-circuit equipment grounding conductor connected to the grounding terminal of these receptacles is required to be insulated copper and must be connected to the reference grounding point typically provided in isolated power systems equipment that serve operating rooms. At least 12 of these receptacles must be connected to either the normal system branch circuit required in 517.19(A) or critical branch circuit supplied by a different transfer switch than the other receptacles serving the same operation room. The NEC was previously silent on this issue but is now clear in the minimum number of receptacles required for operating rooms.