Hospital Grade Receptacles

[raider1]

I have a sneaking suspicion that you already know this... but I assume that he/she may have a "staff opinion" from NFPA. According to NFPA's web-site there has only been one FI issued and it was for article 410 (dealing with the 2008 NEC).

Pete

yep, you could see where I was going with this.

A staff opinion is just that, the opinion of someone that works at NFPA and holds no more weight than anyone else's opinion.

Chris

 

[kwired]

I don't think hospital grade receptacles have anything to do with grounding, im pretty sure they are just tamper resistant.

Not all hospital grade receptacles are tamper resistant. They're just a higher quality grade product than they standard commercial or heavy duty grade.

I believe hospital grade receptacles are tested to higher standards, such as amount of tension required to remove a plug after a certain number of insertions of the plug. They may also be (I'm not too sure on this) designed to hold up longer in oxygen rich environments.

 

[elohr46]

Could you maybe post a link or copy of the formal interpretation?

It is my understanding that formal interpretations are very rare from NFPA.

Chris

You are correct, it is not a "formal interpretation", but an opinion from a NFPA staff member.

 

[raider1]

You are correct, it is not a "formal interpretation", but an opinion from a NFPA staff member.

Thank you for posting that, I really appreciate it.

As to the letter, The requirements for hospital grade receptacles is not just contained in 517.18(B) and 517.19(B)(2).

517.61(C)(2) specifically requires hospital grade receptacles to be used in Other than hazardous (Classified) Anesthetizing Locations.

A dentist's exam room that utilizes Nitrous Oxide would be classified as an Anesthetizing location in accordance with the definitions of that location.

Here is the definition

Anesthetizing Location. Any area of a facility that has
been designated to be used for the administration of any
flammable or nonflammable inhalation anesthetic agent in
the course of examination or treatment, including the use of
such agents for relative analgesia.

Here is the definition of relative analgesia;

Relative Analgesia. A state of sedation and partial block of
pain perception produced in a patient by the inhalation of
concentrations of nitrous oxide insufficient to produce loss
of consciousness (conscious sedation).

I can not see where a dentist's exam room would not fall under these definitions if they are using nitrous oxide during their procedures.

Chris

 

[elohr46]

I am inclined to agree with you about HG recept. where NO is in use in dental offices but i find it extremely odd that the NFPA will dance around an issue, deny you a formal interpretation (but not an opinion) and then at the bottom of the document ask that you join their organization so you can be "up to date".

 

[raider1]

I am inclined to agree with you about HG recept. where NO is in use in dental offices but i find it extremely odd that the NFPA will dance around an issue, deny you a formal interpretation (but not an opinion) and then at the bottom of the document ask that you join their organization so you can be "up to date".

I am not really surprised.

Formal interpretations are rare due to them being "On the record" whereas an opinion carries no liability to NFPA if the opinion is wrong.

NFPA is a business, and their business is selling code books and memberships to their organization.

Chris