Dentist Office Receptacles

[Ragin Cajun]

Do the receptacles at the dental chairs need to be hospital grade? We have a debate if this falls under "patient care areas."

Thanks,

RC

 

[chris kennedy]

Do the receptacles at the dental chairs need to be hospital grade?

IMO no. A Dental chair is not a bed.

517.18 General Care Areas.
(B) Patient Bed Location Receptacles. Each patient bed location shall be provided with a minimum of four receptacles. They shall be permitted to be of the single or duplex types or a combination of both. All receptacles, whether four or more, shall be listed ?hospital grade? and so identified. The grounding terminal of each receptacle shall be connected to an insulated copper equipment grounding conductor sized in accordance with Table 250.122.

We have a debate if this falls under "patient care areas."

IMO it does, but where in patient care areas are hospital grade required other than at beds?

Patient Care Area. Any portion of a health care facility wherein patients are intended to be examined or treated. Areas of a health care facility in which patient care is administered are classified as general care areas or critical care areas. The governing body of the facility designates these areas in accordance with the type of patient care anticipated and with the following definitions of the area classification.
FPN: Business offices, corridors, lounges, day rooms, dining rooms, or similar areas typically are not classified as patient care areas.

 

[raider1]

If the dental exam room has nitrious oxide then it would be a "other than hazardous anesthetizing location" and need to meet the requirements of 517.61(C)(2) and be listed for hospital use.

Chris

 

[chris kennedy]

If the dental exam room has nitrious oxide then it would be a "other than hazardous anesthetizing location" and need to meet the requirements of 517.61(C)(2) and be listed for hospital use.

Chris

Chris, nice catch.

Chris:smile:

 

[raider1]

Thanks, Chris

Chris

 

[Ragin Cajun]

Thanks Chris'.

Good work!

RC

 

[raider1]

Your welcome.

Chris

 

[jetlag]

Has anyone opened up these hospital gtade rec to see what is different about them ? I noticed a lot of them are red. IM thinking the contacts might be silver coated.

 

[DanZ]

Do the receptacles at the dental chairs need to be hospital grade? We have a debate if this falls under "patient care areas."

Thanks,

RC

No, the receptacles do not need to be medical grade. The wiring still does. The receptacles also need to be marked for the extra grounding.

When we wire our dental offices, we wire everything in the treatment rooms to 571.13 standards (switches included if they are in the room), since they fall into the definition of "Patient Care Area", and all "Patient Care Areas" need to be wired to it.

It's also worth noting that if you have medical grade wiring, you don't need GFCI receptacles. It's the last exception to the GFCI requirements.

 

[raider1]

No, the receptacles do not need to be medical grade. The wiring still does. The receptacles also need to be marked for the extra grounding.

When we wire our dental offices, we wire everything in the treatment rooms to 571.13 standards (switches included if they are in the room), since they fall into the definition of "Patient Care Area", and all "Patient Care Areas" need to be wired to it.

It's also worth noting that if you have medical grade wiring, you don't need GFCI receptacles. It's the last exception to the GFCI requirements.

If there is going to be nitrious oxide in the dental exam room then the room would be classified as a other than hazardous anesthetizing location. This would require that the receptacles installed in the room meet the requirements of 517.61(C)(2) and be listed "hospital grade" (2008 language).

Chris