healthcare sepatation of normal and emergency

[oneelectricalengineer]

can anyone find code references for the required separation of emergency panels from normal power panels? I can find where the codes talk about separation of wiring but not clearly the panels or distribution equipment nor the automatic transfer switches.

 

[roger]

Re: healthcare sepatation of normal and emergency

517.30(B)take notice of the FPN figures 517.30 No.1 and 517.30 No.2

Roger

 

[oneelectricalengineer]

Re: healthcare sepatation of normal and emergency

The FPNs don't exactly address my question of phyiscal separation of the equipment.

 

[roger]

Re: healthcare sepatation of normal and emergency

I don't understand then, how can you have three branches that are not separated physically.

The figures show the separation of the transfer switches and the loads beyond.

Looking at 517.30(C), to be able to accommodate this section the panels or gear itself would have to be separated.

You could use a "Duplex" type panel

Duplex Isolation Panels
This unit is a single enclosure containing two complete 120V secondary hospital isolation systems. A divider in the unit's backbox separates the systems from top to bottom and front to back.

Each system has its own set of equipment:

Primary circuit breaker
Square D isolation transformer
Reference ground bus bar
ISO-GARD line isolation monitor
Load center

Note the divider separating the compartments.

Roger

 

[oneelectricalengineer]

Re: healthcare sepatation of normal and emergency

Having the life safety, critical branch, eqipment branch panels physically separated from Normal power panels sound like good engineering practice to help survivabilty? does any one know where this is a code requirement? if so where, which, etc.

 

[roger]

Re: healthcare sepatation of normal and emergency

Please explain how the wiring can be seperated per NFPA 99 4.4.2.2.4.1 if the panels are not?

Why not just design a facility with the panels in one big enclosure and see what the AHJ uses to turn down the installation?

BTW, the Equipment Branch wiring doesn't have to be seperated from the Normal Branch.

Roger

[ August 20, 2004, 02:17 PM: Message edited by: roger ]

 

[oneelectricalengineer]

Re: healthcare sepatation of normal and emergency

for safety and survivability of the power systems in a hospital should the normal power distribution be in a separate room from the emergency power distribution? if what code requires this?

 

[oneelectricalengineer]

Re: healthcare sepatation of normal and emergency

I found the reference I was looking for in NFPA 110, 5-2 Location, 5-2.2 and the exception.

 

[charlie b]

Re: healthcare sepatation of normal and emergency

I looked up NFPA 110, and did not find anything related in section 5.2. Are you sure you have the citation correct?

Also, I do not understand what you mean by ?survivability.? This is not a warship at sea. You don?t have to keep one system going, even after an incoming missile takes out the primary system. The purpose of separating normal from emergency at a hospital is to prevent a failure in a normal-system component from causing a failure in the emergency component. I shouldn?t thing you would have to be in separate rooms for that.

 

[roger]

Re: healthcare sepatation of normal and emergency

Oneelectricalengineer, where are panel boards defined as EPSS equipment?

See NFPA 110 5.12 for a definition of equipment.

The system OCPD is the only distribution component suggested to be a close distance to the EPS.

The term equipment would apply to the EPS itself, paralleling gear, chargers, case heaters, fuel pumps, etc...

Roger