# Medical Office Buildings



## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

VMIBeef95 said:


> I am in the processing of designing a medical office building where no anesthesia is being administered and everyone can stand up and leaving the building on their own accord. I had to send the drawings through a city’s express review. I got three comments that I did not understand. First, was the wiring requirement of 517.13. We do not allow the conduit to be used a path for ground and require an insulated ground conductor to every device and light fixture. From what I can tell, this meets 517.13. The other part of this comment was the hospital grade receptacle that we do not need because this is not a critical care area, NEC 517.8(B). The second was the requirement of an emergency light in the exam rooms and any patient care area. The section that was given to me by the reviewer was 517.25. I could not find any requirement for an emergency light in the exam rooms in this section. The only requirement I could find were areas where anesthesia was being used, but we are not. The third was the requirement for emergency egress lighting and just egress lighting. At each door, we had a fixture with two lamps and battery backup that extended the 1 fc to almost 15 feet off the building. The reviewer then said that all egress lighting had to be emergency. That is not my understanding. You only need emergency to get 10’ from building, then you need egress lighting after that to get you further away from building, but this lighting does not need to be emergency. Any help from anyone? Am I heading in the right direction?


They want all the wiring to have two paths to ground meaning the conduit alone is not good enough, a green conductor needs to be pulled and bonded at all points or HFMC must be used. HG receptacles need only be used in patient care areas, others such as halls, baths office can use standard. One weatherproof emergency head over an exit/egress doorway is all I do.


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## VMIBeef95 (Jun 20, 2012)

I thought HG receptacles were only required in patient bed locations which by definition are sleeping beds in critical care areas. In a medical office building, you don't have any critical care areas.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

VMIBeef95 said:


> I thought HG receptacles were only required in patient bed locations which by definition are sleeping beds in critical care areas. In a medical office building, you don't have any critical care areas.


My last med job they had me putting them in the interview rooms, it's what the inspector wanted, it's what I did.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

are you on 2011 or 2008 ?


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## VMIBeef95 (Jun 20, 2012)

2008 in NC. they have not adopted 2011. Why? Have there been changes?


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## Wireless (Jan 22, 2007)

The beds in exams room fall under patient care area.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

VMIBeef95 said:


> 2008 in NC. they have not adopted 2011. Why? Have there been changes?


yes.

in 2011

517.16
isolated ground receptacles are no longer allowed in patient care areas

there are some other minor changes.


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## VMIBeef95 (Jun 20, 2012)

Yes, but the code states HG receptacles are required in patient care areas that are in a critical care area. A medical office building is not a critical care area. The definitions in part I are well defined on which area is which. I can not find any requirement for HG receptacles in a general care patient care area. Also, the light fixture do not have to be wired per NEC 517.13 because they are over 8' from finish grade per 517.63(C) 1 through 4. I know this says Anesthestizing area so if it is not required there it should not be required in a lesser area.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

VMIBeef95 said:


> Yes, but the code states HG receptacles are required in patient care areas that are in a critical care area. A medical office building is not a critical care area. The definitions in part I are well defined on which area is which. I can not find any requirement for HG receptacles in a general care patient care area. Also, the light fixture do not have to be wired per NEC 517.13 because they are over 8' from finish grade per 517.63(C) 1 through 4. I know this says Anesthestizing area so if it is not required there it should not be required in a lesser area.


Are there local county/ state amendments to the NEC that require this ?


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## VMIBeef95 (Jun 20, 2012)

None that i know of.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Typo or misinformed employee ...Send them a copy and breakdown of the NEC 517 that applies and challenge it.


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## Roger. (Dec 18, 2011)

VMIBeef95 said:


> Yes, but the code states HG receptacles are required in patient care areas that are in a critical care area. A medical office building is not a critical care area. The definitions in part I are well defined on which area is which. I can not find any requirement for HG receptacles in a general care patient care area. Also, the light fixture do not have to be wired per NEC 517.13 because they are over 8' from finish grade per 517.63(C) 1 through 4. I know this says Anesthetizing area so if it is not required there it should not be required in a lesser area.


HG receptacles are required in both General Care and Critical Care Patient Bed Locations.

Read 517.18(B) and 517.19(B)(2), they are also required in Anesthetizing Locations see 517.61(B)(5) and 517.63(C)(2)

The light fixtures do have to be wired per 517.13(A) (see 250.118 for wiring methods considered EGC's) however, you do not have to use an insulated ground wire, see _Exception Number 2_ to 517.13(B)

Roger


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## MarkyMark (Jan 31, 2009)

The emergency light requirement in the exam rooms is from NFPA 99 - Health Care Facilities Code.


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## VMIBeef95 (Jun 20, 2012)

About the HG receptacles, look at the definition of patient beds. It says sleeping beds in critical care area. this definition does not apply to Medical office buildings.
Also, the requirement under NFPA 99 for emergency lighting in exam rooms, could you give me the specific section in Chapter 3? I can not find it. Chapter 3 is almost word for word exactly like NEC.


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## Roger. (Dec 18, 2011)

VMIBeef95 said:


> About the HG receptacles, look at the definition of patient beds. It says sleeping beds in critical care area. this definition does not apply to Medical office buildings.
> Also, the requirement under NFPA 99 for emergency lighting in exam rooms, could you give me the specific section in Chapter 3? I can not find it. Chapter 3 is almost word for word exactly like NEC.


 
You are missing the word "or" in the definition, read the first 7 words of the definition and stop.

As far as the lighting in the space (forget the emergency part it's just confusing you) click HERE and read it slow so you don't miss anything

BTW, if I'm not mistaken you are using an old NFPA 99.

Roger


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## VMIBeef95 (Jun 20, 2012)

I understand the definition. It says patient sleeping bed which we do not have. It also says the bed or procedure table of critical care area which we do not have. I have an exam table in an area where there is no anesthetia and no procedures. The doctor has already classifed the whole building as there being less than 4 people who will need help to leave building. This is just a doc in the box as we call them. Also, the reviewer from the city is telling me i have to add emergency lighting and the code section she is stating is 517.25 which has no where about emergency lights and does not apply because of the definitions. Thank you for the article is was a good review. The only part of this article that applies is the wiring method. I understand that. That part is being met because we only allow MC type cable to be used on light fixtures which is excluded from this requirement because of the 7 1/2 feet. We require everything to be run in conduit with a insulated grounding conductor so you have both paths for ground fault.
My concern is having to add emergency lights in all of the exam rooms and any where a patient is. This is a large amount of money that the owner should not have to pay because there is no requirement for this in a general care area exam room. Help, Please!!!


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## Fibes (Feb 18, 2010)

VMIBeef95 said:


> That part is being met because we only allow MC type cable to be used on light fixtures which is excluded from this requirement because of the 7 1/2 feet.


MC is not allowed in your installation regardless of any other issues, the sheath has to be an EGC, the insulated ground can be excluded.


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## VMIBeef95 (Jun 20, 2012)

I think it is allowed as a fixture whip because the fixtures are above 7 1/2 feet.


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## Fibes (Feb 18, 2010)

VMIBeef95 said:


> I think it is allowed as a fixture whip because the fixtures are above 7 1/2 feet.


Look at figure #1 in the article Roger posted, what does it say about the fixture?


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## VMIBeef95 (Jun 20, 2012)

I read it as saying any over 7 1/2 feet do not require insulated ground which is does not meet 517. 13 A or B. This is what i am saying that it does not require th two paths for ground fault so regular MC cable can be used as a fixture whip.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

VMIBeef95 said:


> I read it as saying any over 7 1/2 feet do not require insulated ground which is does not meet 517. 13 A or B. This is what i am saying that it does not require th two paths for ground fault so regular MC cable can be used as a fixture whip.


2 wire whips are cheaper. I made my own w/ scrap and some #14 thwn.


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## Roger. (Dec 18, 2011)

VMIBeef95 said:


> I read it as saying any over 7 1/2 feet do not require insulated ground which is does not meet 517. 13 A or B. This is what i am saying that it does not require th two paths for ground fault so regular MC cable can be used as a fixture whip.


OK, I see your problem, you think regular MC is recognized as an EGC, you didn't read 250.118 did you?

The wiring to the fixtures have to meet the requirement of 517.13(A) period, there is no way around this. You will have to use MCAP, AC, FMC meeting the conditions of 250.118(5), or any other metallic wiring method that is covered under 250.118.

BTW, you do realize that the metallic raceway is the primary (superior) EGC and the insulated wire EGC is the secondary or back up EGC in Patient Care Areas don't you? 

With that said, if you want to take the plan reviewer to task as well as DHSR (if you plan on doing any real Health care Facility design) have a party.

Roger


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