What standards must operating rooms and intensive care units meet to be electrically safe?

Operating rooms and intensive care units are hospital areas of special care, due to the risk that the procedures performed there represent. That is why there are established regulations in the RETIE (Technical Regulations of Electrical Installations), to ensure their proper functioning and guarantee the risk minimization within them.

Among these regulations, the RETIE establishes as mandatory the use of isolated power systems to reduce the probabilities of the passage of current through the human body. This isolated system must include an isolation transformer, an isolation monitor, non-grounded circuit conductors and devices that allow ground faults to be located in the shortest possible time.

Besides, each of these parts must meet and certify technical standards for application in health care centers, such as UL 1047 and NFPA 99 or equivalent standards.

The scope of the UL 1047 standard is for isolated power systems, either employing an electric wire cable connection or permanently connected. It consists of a distribution panel that incorporates an isolation transformer. It also applies to one or more isolated secondary circuits or remote grounding outlets; to the attachment points of the rooms and the equipment grounding points.

The requirements apply to isolated systems for equipment of 600V, AC or less, intended for installation and use in non-hazardous areas in health care centers, following the provisions of NFPA 70 Article 517 (Colombian Technical Standard 2059) and the standard for health care facilities, NFPA 99.

For its part, NFPA 99 applies to all health care facilities other than those where home health care is provided. The construction and equipment requirements contained in NFPA 99 apply only to new construction and new equipment.

Considering the above, isolated power system equipment for hospital use that complies with Technical Standard UL 1047 and proves it through a product certificate, issued by an accredited entity, will be complying with the RETIE and therefore the operating rooms and intensive care units that work under these conditions will be considered electrically safe.

At IASS Ingeniería we have extensive experience in the construction of operating rooms and intensive care units certified as electrically safe and we are authorized dealers of PG LifeLink. Contact us!