switches in patient rooms

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sam34

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Missouri
Hello every one,

Does light switches in exam rooms are required to have metal raceway system or AC cable (per section 517.13(A)? I have an inspector that told us since there is no such a thing called hospital grade switches, all switches for patient area's needs to be from the outside. Any Ideas?
 
Re: switches in patient rooms

517.13(A) says...all branch circuits serving patient care areas shall be provided... I believe that means the lighting circuit serving the exam room must comply, but a metal faceplate is exempt per (B) Exc. #1. If this is an exam room in an outpatient clinic, for example, the NEC doesn't require hospital grade receptacles, and that should be moot. I regularly specify spec grade receptacles and switches in clinics, etc.
Jim T
 
Re: switches in patient rooms

Thank you Jim for replying, This place is in shopping Mall where they have a room for hearing testing which they will consider an exam room. So are you saying that I don't even have to have hospital grade receptacles?

Thank you
 
Re: switches in patient rooms

Sam,

That is correct. You do not need healthcare grade receptacles in the location you are speaking about.
-Ed
 
Re: switches in patient rooms

look at 517.13 (B) exception no. 2, and the
definition of patient vicinity.
 
Re: switches in patient rooms

Sam34, although the area you describe is a far stretch of the imagination as too being a healthcare facility, you can go to this page on Patient Vicinity Grounding and notice the light switch beside the "Patient Bed" in the first graphic.

Roger

[ January 21, 2005, 09:43 PM: Message edited by: roger ]
 
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