Emergency Lights

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jmsbrush said:
I can not find this in the NEC. Are you required to have emergency lights in patients room in a Dr. Office?
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I think the NEC just tells you how to wire them, not where to locate them.
I would say that's a life safety code thing.
 
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jmsbrush said:
I can not find this in the NEC. Are you required to have emergency lights in patients room in a Dr. Office?
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You may be thinking of 517.63(A), but there is no NEC requirement for patient rooms or Dr's offices.

Roger
 
jmsbrush said:
If this is true, I need to find the reference. Thank you.
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The IBC is the most likely reference. The IBC or a modified version of the IBC has been adopted in most jurisdictions. IBC Section 1006.3 covers the requirement for emergency lighting. For a patient room to require emergency lighting, it would need to have an occupant load sufficient to require two exits. That would be a very large patient room indeed :)

In some areas, NFPA's life safety code may have been adopted in place of or in addition to the IBC. I'm not familiar with the life safety code, but I am doubtful that it would require emergency lighting in a patient room.

Now, there is one other reference to consider. NEC 517.63(A) requires battery-powered emergency lighting in anesthetizing locations. If it is intended that anesthesia be used in the patient rooms, then this section would apply. If you look at the definition of "Anesthetizing Location" and "Relative Analgesia" you will see that this can include the use of nitrous oxide.
 
Most emergency lighting requirements come out of the IBC, that's why so many of them get missed.

I know of no requirement for E-lighting in a dr's office.
 
My rule of thumb with emergency lights is basically this; if the PUBLIC can access the room, or regularly goes in the room, then you should put an emergency light. I have always put emergency lights in exam rooms etc. If the lights go out, people usually want to put their clothes on prior to leaving, same idea with restrooms.

So a patient room in my opinion would have to have one, a doctors office wouldn't if it is the actual office where the doctor is working.
 
Npstewart said:
My rule of thumb with emergency lights is basically this; if the PUBLIC can access the room, or regularly goes in the room, then you should put an emergency light. I have always put emergency lights in exam rooms etc. If the lights go out, people usually want to put their clothes on prior to leaving, same idea with restrooms.

So a patient room in my opinion would have to have one, a doctors office wouldn't if it is the actual office where the doctor is working.
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But those lights would not be "Emergency" lights but instead be optional standby lighting.

If you are using unit equipment then it is not much of an issue but if you are using an emergency generator with true emergency circuits to provide the required means of egress illumination then the lights in areas not specified in IBC section 1006.3 could not be on the emergency lighting circuit.

Chris
 
Yea, I wasn't referring to a required backup lighting system.

I was talking about a fixture that is tied into the local lighting system that stays on when the power goes out for a minimum of 90 minutes. This could be the wall back eye-ball lights, or a fixture with a battery ballast.
 
Npstewart said:
Yea, I wasn't referring to a required backup lighting system.

I was talking about a fixture that is tied into the local lighting system that stays on when the power goes out for a minimum of 90 minutes. This could be the wall back eye-ball lights, or a fixture with a battery ballast.
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There would be no issues with what you have described.:)

Chris
 
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