Essential Electrical Systems

[dubra]

I have been lurking for quite sometime and decided to take the plunge, and register as a new member.
I would like to thank everyone for all of the informative posts being written as I have learned alot and with the many questions I have had, my head is still spinning.
To introduce myself ...
I am a journeyman electrician by trade (mostly within the commercial construction industry) but have been working as a Physical Plant Mngr in the health care environment for almost 10 years now.
I have been tasked with the responsibility of revisiting our PM on essential electrical systems, specifically the periodic testing of our equipment. Could someone enlighten me as to what frequency these test are to be conducted and what my requirements are.
Any and All help would be appriciated.

 

[ron]

Re: Essential Electrical Systems

I think Joint Commission on. the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) determines the required testing for health care facilities. Is your facility a part of that group?

 

[charlie b]

Re: Essential Electrical Systems

Article 700.4(B) of the National Electrical Code tells us that the emergency systems must be tested ?on a schedule acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction.? So it boils down to who is the AHJ and what do they require.

May I beg to offer a suggestion? Many members of our profession, and far more people who are not in our profession, tend to use the word ?emergency? in an incorrect, all-inclusive sense. Since you are in the Heath Care industry, it is worth making the effort to be precise, when using that term. Here is a summary of the correct terms and their relationships:

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• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The power system at a hospital can be separated into the ?Normal Electrical System? and the ?Essential Electrical System.?</font>

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"></font>

• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The ?Essential Electrical System? can be further separated into the ?Equipment System? and the ?Emergency System.? This is the one and only one correct use of the word ?emergency,? as it pertains to a hospital?s electrical loads.</font>

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"></font>

• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The ?Emergency System? can, in turn, be separated into the ?Life Safety Branch? and the ?Critical Branch.?</font>

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"></font>

• <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The ?Life Safety Branch? can only be used to power the loads that are listed in the code book. The hospital management has more freedom to choose what loads they wish to declare to be critical.</font>

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By the way, thanks for making the plunge. Welcome to the Forum.

 

[roger]

Re: Essential Electrical Systems

Ron is right in that the Joint Commission will check your test reports if you are an accredited facility. The actual test criteria is covered in NFPA 110 and NFPA 99, which in short is a test innitialized by a Transfer Switch loading the Generator/s to 30% of full load or exhaust loaded temperature for a period of at least 30 minutes monthly. ( there are yearly load bank exceptions I think)

I posted this information a while back, but can't find the link right now, if I can't find it I'll repost it tomorrow.

Roger