Critical Panelboards in Hospitals

[mshields]

Here in MA, for years, we had separate rooms for Normal And Essential Electrical Systems (the equipment branch could always go in either) with the EES room being 2 hour rated. That went away a couple of code cycles ago so that we could put all of the above in a single electrical room. I've run into a situation where a hospital client wants to put a critical panel in a corridor. I am aware of FGI prohibiting panelboards in egress corridors (don't know what makes one corridor and egress corridor and another not but...). My question is, although I find it very counterintuitive, do EES panelboards or even normal panelboards, in hospitals need to be in electrical rooms OR can they be in a corridor such as my client is asking me to do.

 

[mbrooke]

I wouldn't put them in a public corridor where guest curiously will always be making staff uneasy.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

I have done hospitals with panels in the corridors, but they served general loads and not patient care loads.
Have seen some very shallow electrical closets for this purpose. The wall is ja double wall at the panel location, with the panels recessed into the back wall, and double doors in the front wall to provide the 110.26(A) working clearance.

 

[roger]

This was a common design in a couple of hospitals I worked in.


Roger