Lately there has been controversy in the hospital engineering community concerning the use of isolated power systems and the 2012 changes in the National Fire Protection Association standard, NFPA 99.
Section 3.3.89 of NFPA99 2012 defines an Isolated Power System as "A system comprising an isolation transformer or its equivalent, a line isolation monitor, and its ungrounded circuit conductors."
Section 3.3.9 of NFPA99 2012 defines a Line Isolation Monitor as "A test instrument designed to continually check the balanced and unbalanced impedance from each line of an isolated circuit to ground and equipped with a built-in test circuit to exercise the alarm without adding to the leakage current hazard." In an isolated power circuit, a ground fault would result in an alarm, but power would not be interrupted.
Section 3.3.184 of NFPA99 2012 defines a Wet Procedure Location as "The area in a patient care room where a procedure is performed that is normally subject to wet conditions while patients are present, including standing fluids on the floor or drenching of the work area, either of which condition is intimate to the patient or staff."
Section 6.3.2.2.1.2(C) of NFPA99 2012 addresses isolated power with regard to Critical Care Areas and states "Where used in locations such as critical care areas, isolated power panels shall be permitted in those locations."
Section 6.3.2.2.8 of NFPA99 2012 addresses Wet Procedure Locations.
Section 6.3.2.2.8.1 of NFPA99 2012 states "Wet procedure locations shall be provided with special protection against electric shock."
Section 6.3.2.2.8.4 of NFPA99 2012 states "Operating rooms shall be considered to be a wet procedure location, unless a risk assessment conducted by the health care governing body determines otherwise.
This is the most controversial section. A risk assessment by the health care governing body can in fact deem an operating room not to be a wet procedure location. This would be contingent on interpretation of the mopping of the floor which occurs between cases as "drenching", as defined in Section 3.3.89 above.
Section 6.3.2.2.8.6 of NFPA99 2012 states "The use of an isolated power system (IPS) shall be permitted as a protective means capable of limiting ground-fault current without power interruption. When installed, such a power system shall conform to the requirements of 6.3.2.6."
Section 6.3.2.2.8.7 of NFPA99 2012 states "Operating rooms defined as wet procedure locations shall be protected by either isolated power or ground fault circuit interrupters."
Section 6.3.2.2.9 of NFPA99 2012 addresses Isolated Power
Section 6.3.2.2.9.2 of NFPA99 2012 states "The system shall be permitted to be installed where it conforms to the performance requirements specified in 6.3.2.6.
Section 6.3.2.6.2.2 of NFPA99 2012 addresses Line Isolation Monitors
Section 6.3.2.6.3.2 of NFPA99 2012 states "The monitor shall be designed such that a green signal lamp, conspicuously visible in the area where the line isolation monitor is utilized, remains lighted when the system is adequately isolated from ground; and an adjacent red signal lamp and an audible warning signal (remote if desired) shall be energized when the total hazard current (consisting of possible resistive or capacitive leakage currents) from either isolated conductor to ground reaches a threshold value of 5.0 mA under normal line voltage conditions. The line isolation monitor shall not alarm for a fault hazard current of less than 3.7 mA.
This is interesting, as many of the Line Isolation Monitors still in use are older, often analog units that are set to alarm at only 2 mA. These units must be replaced immediately, as it is a violation of code to use them.
Section 6.3.3.3 of NFPA99 2012 addresses Performance Criteria and Testing for Isolated Power Systems.
Section 6.3.3.3.2 of NFPA99 2012 Line Isolation Monitor Tests states "The line isolation monitor (LIM) circuit shall be tested after installation, and prior to being placed in service, by successively grounding each line of the energized distribution system through a resistor whose value is 200 x V (ohms), where V equals measured line voltage. The visual and alarms shall be activated."
Section 6.3.4.1 of NFPA99 2012 addresses Maintenance and Testing of the Electrical System.
Section 6.3.4.1.4 of NFPA99 2012 states "The LIM circuit shall be tested at intervals of not more than 1 month by actuating the LIM test switch. For a LIM circuit with automated self-test and self-calibration capabilities, this test shall be performed at intervals of not more than 12 months. Actuation of the test switch shall activate both visual and audible alarm indicators.
Section 6.3.4.2 of NFPA99 2012 addresses Record Keeping.
Section 6.3.4.2.1.1 of NFPA99 2012 states "A record shall be maintained of the tests required by this chapter and associated repairs or modification.
Section 6.3.4.2.1.2 of NFPA99 2012 states "At a minimum, the record shall contain the date, the rooms or areas tested, and an indication of which items have met, or have failed to meet, the performance requirements of this chapter.
Section 6.3.4..2.2 of NFPA99 2012 Isolated Power System (Where Installed) states "A permanent record shall be kept of the results of each of the tests.
Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration
Medical Equipment Repair Medical Equipment Maintenance Medical Equipment Field Service Medical Equipment Service Contracts Medical Equipment Calibration Medical Equipment Preventive Maintenance Biomedical Equipment Repair Biomedical Equipment Maintenance Biomedical Equipment Field Service Biomedical Equipment Service Contracts Biomedical Equipment Calibration Biomedical Equipment Preventive Maintenance Medical Equipment Repair in California Medical Equipment Maintenance in California Medical Equipment Field Service in California Medical Equipment Service Contracts in California Medical Equipment Calibration in California Medical Equipment Preventive Maintenance in California Biomedical Equipment Repair in California Biomedical Equipment Maintenance in California Biomedical Equipment Field Service in California Biomedical Equipment Service Contracts in California Biomedical Equipment Calibration in California Biomedical Equipment Preventive Maintenance in California Medical Equipment Repair in Los Angeles California Medical Equipment Maintenance in Los Angeles California Medical Equipment Field Service in Los Angeles California Medical Equipment Service Contracts in Los Angeles California Medical Equipment Calibration in Los Angeles California Medical Equipment Preventive Maintenance in Los Angeles California Biomedical Equipment Repair in Los Angeles California Biomedical Equipment Maintenance in Los Angeles California Biomedical Equipment Field Service in Los Angeles California Biomedical Equipment Service Contracts in Los Angeles California Biomedical Equipment Calibration in Los Angeles California Biomedical Equipment Preventive Maintenance in Los Angeles California Hospital Equipment Repair Hospital Equipment Maintenance Hospital Equipment Field Service Hospital Equipment Service Contracts Hospital Equipment Calibration Hospital Equipment Preventive Maintenance Anesthesia Equipment Repair Anesthesia Equipment Maintenance Anesthesia Equipment Field Service Anesthesia Equipment Service Contracts Anesthesia Equipment Calibration Anesthesia Equipment Preventive Maintenance Hospital Equipment Repair in California Hospital Equipment Maintenance in California Hospital Equipment Field Service in California Hospital Equipment Service Contracts in California Hospital Equipment Calibration in California Hospital Equipment Preventive Maintenance in California Anesthesia Equipment Repair in California Anesthesia Equipment Maintenance in California Anesthesia Equipment Field Service in California Anesthesia Equipment Service Contracts in California Anesthesia Equipment Calibration in California Anesthesia Equipment Preventive Maintenance in California Hospital Equipment Repair in Los Angeles California Hospital Equipment Maintenance in Los Angeles California Hospital Equipment Field Service in Los Angeles California Hospital Equipment Service Contracts in Los Angeles California Hospital Equipment Calibration in Los Angeles California Hospital Equipment Preventive Maintenance in Los Angeles California Anesthesia Equipment Repair in Los Angeles California Anesthesia Equipment Maintenance in Los Angeles California Anesthesia Equipment Field Service in Los Angeles California Anesthesia Equipment Service Contracts in Los Angeles California Anesthesia Equipment Calibration in Los Angeles California Anesthesia Equipment Preventive Maintenance in Los Angeles California Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration Repair Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration Maintenance Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration Field Service Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration Service Contracts Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration Preventive Maintenance Medical Imaging Equipment Repair Medical Imaging Equipment Maintenance Medical Imaging Equipment Field Service Medical Imaging Equipment Service Contracts Medical Imaging Equipment Calibration Medical Imaging Equipment Preventive Maintenance Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration Repair in California Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration Maintenance in California Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration Field Service in California Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration Service Contracts in California Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration in California Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration Preventive Maintenance in California Medical Imaging Equipment Repair in California Medical Imaging Equipment Maintenance in California Medical Imaging Equipment Field Service in California Medical Imaging Equipment Service Contracts in California Medical Imaging Equipment Calibration in California Medical Imaging Equipment Preventive Maintenance in California Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration Repair in Los Angeles California Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration Maintenance in Los Angeles California Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration Field Service in Los Angeles California Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration Service Contracts in Los Angeles California Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration in Los Angeles California Scientific Laboratory Equipment Calibration Preventive Maintenance in Los Angeles California Medical Imaging Equipment Repair in Los Angeles California Medical Imaging Equipment Maintenance in Los Angeles California Medical Imaging Equipment Field Service in Los Angeles California Medical Imaging Equipment Service Contracts in Los Angeles California Medical Imaging Equipment Calibration in Los Angeles California Medical Imaging Equipment Preventive Maintenance in Los Angeles California