517.21

[mshields]

Working on an Emergency Department and for each patient bay there is a sink. The base requirement for sinks is the same in hospitals as it is everywhere else; namely that if it's within 6 feet of the inside edge of the sink, you need one. 517.21 appears to be addressing the special case where a patient is in a critical care area with toilet and basin near the bed. In this case, ostensibly such that critical equipment doesn't get plugged into them, it is permissible NOT to use GFCI.

I don't think this is applicable to exam rooms in an Emergency Department but that's what I'm struggling with. What do you think?

Is the rule applicable to all Category I area's or is it applicable only to rooms with toilets and basins not one or the other adjacent to the bed?

 

[steve66]

Look at the second exception in 210.8.

 

[mshields]

interesting

interesting

and seemingly in conflict with the paragragh I sited in 517

 

[LIM]

An emergency department is not a critical care area generally speaking. The hospital's risk assessment team would have to deem the area critical care based on NFPA 99 risk assessment. Therefore 517.21 would not apply. Also, the ED does not have patient bed locations per the definition in 210.8, therefore any receptacle within 6' of a sink would need GFCI protection.

 

[steve66]

and seemingly in conflict with the paragragh I sited in 517

No, they're not in conflict, although, the organization could be better.

You have a patient room with a sink. No GFCI required per 210.8 exception #2. 517.21 has no bearing since there isn't a toilet in the room.

If there were a toilet in the room, then you would basically have a bathroom area, and then the exception to 517.21 would apply.

Seems like they should put both exceptions in the same place.

 

[LIM]

No, they're not in conflict, although, the organization could be better.

You have a patient room with a sink. No GFCI required per 210.8 exception #2. 517.21 has no bearing since there isn't a toilet in the room.

If there were a toilet in the room, then you would basically have a bathroom area, and then the exception to 517.21 would apply.

Seems like they should put both exceptions in the same place.

This is not a patient bed location......

 

[steve66]

This is not a patient bed location......

Re-reading Mikes original post, I think you are right. I thought he meant the room doesn't have a toilet, but now that I read it again, it sounds like there is no bed either.

 

[LIM]

Re-reading Mikes original post, I think you are right. I thought he meant the room doesn't have a toilet, but now that I read it again, it sounds like there is no bed either.

Correct, a patient bed location is defined as a patient sleeping bed or the bed or procedure table of a critical care area. Patients don't spend the night in the ED generally, if an extended stay is necessary, they are moved to a patient med-surg room or possibly the ICU if necessary. As I mentioned before, if the hospital does deem the ED critical care through a risk assessment, the GFCIs at that point would not be required. A trauma room attached to the ED may also be considered a critical care area.

 

[steve66]

Correct, a patient bed location is defined as a patient sleeping bed or the bed or procedure table of a critical care area. Patients don't spend the night in the ED generally, if an extended stay is necessary, they are moved to a patient med-surg room or possibly the ICU if necessary. As I mentioned before, if the hospital does deem the ED critical care through a risk assessment, the GFCIs at that point would not be required. A trauma room attached to the ED may also be considered a critical care area.

Yes, I'm aware of all that. Although you must be living in a different universe if you have actually have facilities do risk studies and officially designate areas as critical care. In my experience, that just doesn't happen.

Anyhow, most of the ER room's I've seen are set up just like ICU rooms, with sleeping type beds, sinks, and even toilets right in the same room. Maybe that just says something about how long they expect someone to wait to be treated in the ER.

 

[LIM]

Yes, I'm aware of all that. Although you must be living in a different universe if you have actually have facilities do risk studies and officially designate areas as critical care. In my experience, that just doesn't happen.

Anyhow, most of the ER room's I've seen are set up just like ICU rooms, with sleeping type beds, sinks, and even toilets right in the same room. Maybe that just says something about how long they expect someone to wait to be treated in the ER.

Risk assessments are a NFPA 99 requirement. I live in where NFPA 99 is enforced.