Health Care Emergency Vs Critical

[Geon_W]

What is the difference btw Emergency power and Critical power, generally found in health care facilities. Both Critical and Emergency systems are fed by standby generator when normal power is out. Why is there a need for the distinction?

 

[bcorbin]

Critical is a branch of Emergency. You also have Life Safety, and Equipment Branches of Emergency power. The reason they are broken out separately is because of priority...the condensing unit might be out for a couple of hours, but Aunt Jane's respirator equipment had better stay on...period.

 

[charlie b]

Your question is similar to asking why there is a distinction between ?fruit? and ?apples.? ?Fruit? is a category, and ?apples? is just one item that is in that category.

?Emergency? is a category that includes both ?Life Safety? and ?Critical.? So the question should be, ?why is there a need to distinguish between ?Life Safety? and ?Critical??

That answer lies in the definition of those two terms, a definition found in 517.2 (not in 100). The ?Critical Branch? is all about being able to provide patient care, in the event of a loss of the utility power source. The ?Life Safety Branch? is the more important of the two. It is all about keeping the patients (and the staff) alive and safe, in the event of a loss of the utility power source.

 

[dsparkette]

What is the difference btw Emergency power and Critical power, generally found in health care facilities. Both Critical and Emergency systems are fed by standby generator when normal power is out. Why is there a need for the distinction?

There are several different levels of importance of power in a health care facility. If in fact the load were to get to be too much for the generator it is (or should be ) programmed to shed less necessary loads. The generator is there to sustain life first and foremost