517 – Health Care Facilities
517.10(B) – Areas Used Exclusively for Intramuscular Injections (Immunizations)
Change at a Glance:
New areas not covered by the wiring and protection methods of Part II of Article 517 [Intramuscular injections (immunizations), etc.] have been added to 517.10(B).
517.10 Applicability. (Health Care Facilities) (B) Not Covered.
Part II shall not apply to the following:
(1) Business offices, corridors, waiting rooms, and the like in clinics, medical and dental offices, and outpatient facilities
(2) Areas of nursing homes and limited care facilities wired in accordance with Chapters 1 through 4 of this Code where these areas are used exclusively as patient sleeping rooms
(3) Areas used exclusively for any of the following purposes:
(a) Intramuscular injections (immunizations)
(b) Psychiatry and psychotherapy
(c) Alternative medicine
(d) Optometry
Informational Note: See NFPA 101-2015 2018, Life Safety Code®.
517.16 – Isolated Ground Receptacles Located Outside of a Patient Care Vicinity
Change at a Glance:
Further revision to 517.16 provides better explanation of use of isolated receptacles outside the patent care vicinity. Where installed, an isolated ground receptacle cannot eliminate the two equipment grounding paths required by 517.13.
517.16 Use of Isolated Ground Receptacles. (Health Care Facilities)
An isolated ground receptacle, if used, shall not defeat the purposes of the safety features of the grounding systems detailed in 517.13. [99:6.3.2.2.5(A)]
(A) Inside of a Patient Care Vicinity. An isolated grounding ground receptacle shall not be installed within a patient care vicinity. [99:6.3.2.2.7.1(B)] [99:6.3.2.2.5(B)]
(B) Outside of a Patient Care Vicinity. Isolated ground receptacle(s) installed in patient care spaces outside of a patient care vicinity(s) shall comply with 517.16(B)(1) and (B)(2).
(1) The equipment grounding terminals of isolated ground receptacles installed in branch circuits for patient care spaces shall be connected to an insulated equipment grounding conductor in accordance with 250.146(D) in addition to the equipment grounding conductor path required installed in a wiring method described in 517.13(A).
The equipment grounding conductor connected to the equipment grounding terminals of isolated ground receptacles in patient care spaces shall be clearly identified along the equipment grounding conductor’s entire length by green insulation with one or more yellow stripes.
(2) The insulated equipment grounding conductor required in 517.13(B)(1) shall be clearly identified along its entire length by green insulation, with no yellow stripes, and shall not be connected to the grounding terminals of isolated equipment ground receptacles but shall be connected to the box or enclosure indicated in 517.13(B)(1)(2) and to non–current-carrying conductive surfaces of fixed electrical equipment indicated in 517.13(B)(1)(3).
Informational Note No. 1: This type of installation is typically used where a reduction of electrical noise (electromagnetic interference) is necessary, and parallel grounding paths are to be avoided.
Informational Note No. 2: Care should be taken in specifying a system containing isolated ground receptacles, because the grounding impedance is controlled only by the grounding wires of the effective ground-fault current path is dependent upon the equipment grounding conductor(s) and does not benefit from any conduit or building structure in parallel with the equipment grounding path conductor. [99:A.6.3.2.2.7.1]
517.17(D) – Ground-Fault Protection of Equipment Testing
Change at a Glance:
Revisions were made to provide clarity by requiring a qualified person (written record) to perform a test process of GFP primary current injection.
517.17 Ground-Fault Protection of Equipment. (Health Care Facilities)
(A) Applicability. (see NEC for complete text)
(B) Feeders. (see NEC for complete text)
(C) Selectivity. (see NEC for complete text)
(D) Testing. When equipment ground-fault protection of equipment is first installed, each level shall be performance tested to ensure compliance with 517.17(C). This testing shall be conducted by a qualified person(s) using a test process in accordance with the instruction provided with the equipment. A written record of this testing shall be made and shall be available to the authority having jurisdiction.
517.26 – Application of Other Articles
Change at a Glance:
New text was added to give needed guidance to what parts of Article 700 that Article 517 amends.
517.26 Application of Other Articles. (Health Care Facilities)
The life safety branch of the essential electrical system shall meet the requirements of Article 700, except as amended by Article 517.
(1) Section 700.4 shall not apply.
(2) Section 700.10(D) shall not apply.
(3) Section 700.17 shall be replaced with the following: Branch circuits that supply emergency lighting shall be installed to provide service from a source complying with 700.12 when normal supply for lighting is interrupted or where single circuits supply luminaires containing secondary batteries.
(4) Section 700.32 shall not apply.
Informational Note No. 1: For additional information, see NFPA 110-2013 2019, Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems.
Informational Note No. 2: For additional information, see 517.29 and NFPA 99-20152018, Health Care Facilities Code.
517.30(B)(3) – Battery Systems as Alternate Source in Essential Electrical System
Change at a Glance:
Battery systems are now permitted to serve as the alternate source for all or part of an essential electrical system.
517.30 Sources of Power. (Health Care Facilities)
(A) Two Independent Power Sources. Essential electrical systems shall have a minimum of the following two independent sources of power: a normal source generally supplying the entire electrical system and one or more alternate source(s) sources for use when the normal source is interrupted. [99:6.4.1.1.4] [99: 6.7.1.2.2]
(B) Types of Power Sources.
(1) Generating Units. Where the normal source consists of generating units on the premises, the alternate source shall be either another generating set or an external utility service. [99:6.4.1.1.5] [99:6.7.1.2.3]
(2) Fuel Cell Systems. (see NEC for complete text)
(3) Battery Systems. Battery systems shall be permitted to serve as the alternate source for all or part of an essential electrical system.
Informational Note: For information on installation of battery systems, see NFPA 111-2016, Standard on Stored Electrical Energy Emergency and Standby Power Systems.
517.31(C)(1)(a) – Raceways, Cables, and Enclosures of the Life Safety and Critical Branch
Change at a Glance:
Identification and marking requirements for the life safety branch and critical branch of essential electrical systems was added to 517.31(C)(1)(a) Raceways and cables required to be field- or factory-marked as a component of the essential electrical system at intervals not to exceed 7.6 m (25 ft).
517.31 Requirements for Essential Electrical System. (Health Care Facility)
(A) Separate Branches. (see NEC of complete text)
(B) Transfer Switches. (see NEC of complete text)
(C) Wiring Requirements.
(1) Separation from Other Circuits. The life safety branch and critical branch of the essential electrical system shall be kept entirely independent of all other wiring and equipment and shall not enter the same raceways, boxes, or cabinets with each other or other wiring. [99:6.7.5.2.1]
(a) Raceways, cables, or enclosures of the life safety and critical branch shall be readily identified as a component of the essential electrical system (EES). Boxes and enclosures (including transfer switches, generators, and power panels) shall be field- or factory-marked and identified as a component of the EES. Raceways and cables shall be field- or factory-marked as a component of the EES at intervals not to exceed 7.6 m (25 ft).
(b) Conductors of the life safety branch or critical branch shall not enter the same raceways, boxes, or cabinets with each other or any other wiring system. It shall be permitted for the branch conductors to occupy common equipment, raceways, boxes, or cabinets of other circuits not part of the life safety branch and critical branch where such wiring complies with one of the following:
(1) Is in transfer equipment enclosures
(2) Is in exit or emergency luminaires supplied from two sources
(3) Is in a common junction box attached to exit or emergency luminaires supplied from two sources
(4) Is for two or more circuits supplied from the same branch and same transfer switch
(c) The wiring of the equipment branch shall be permitted to occupy the same raceways, boxes, or cabinets of other circuits that are not part of the essential electrical system.
(d) Where Category 2 (general care) locations are served from two separate transfer switches on the essential electrical system in accordance with 517.18(A), Exception No. 3, the Category 2 (general care) circuits from the two separate systems shall be kept independent of each other.
(e) Where Category 1 (critical care) locations are served from two separate transfer switches on the essential electrical system in accordance with 517.19(A), Exception No. 2, the critical care circuits from the two separate systems shall be kept independent of each other.