REGULATION AND COMPLIANCE
BS7671: Section 710 medical locations
BS7671 is the UK low voltage (LV) wiring regulations published by the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) in agreement with the British Standard Institution (BSI). The current edition is known as the 18th edition, incorporating Amendment 3. The regulations will be amended in April 2026 with the issue of Amendment 4. Section 710 of BS7671 covers the additional requirements for medical locations. Matthew Gilmore, technical director at Guardian Electrical Compliance, explains medical locations and discusses Section 710 requirements and Amendment 4 updates to help an electrical duty holder meet their legal responsibilities.
What is a medical location? Section 710 of BS7671 sets out the additional electrical requirements that must be followed when designing, installing, or maintaining systems supplying medical locations. These requirements are mirrored in Health Technical Memorandums (HTM). The HTMs that cover the requirements are HTM 06-01 – Electrical services supply1
refer readers back to BS7671 for detailed guidance. They apply to a wide range of facilities, including:
n Hospitals. n Private clinics. n Dental and medical practices. n Healthcare centres. n Designated medical rooms within workplaces (for patient and staff safety).
n Buildings conducting medical research involving patients.
Medical locations are divided into three groups; each defined in BS7671.3
These groups reflect the level of patient risk if the electrical supply were to fail.
Group 0 – Medical location where no applied parts are intended to be used and where discontinuity (failure) of the supply cannot cause danger to life.
Group 1 – Medical location where discontinuity (failure) of the supply does not represent a threat to the safety of the patient and applied parts are intended to be used:
n externally, n invasively to any part of the body except where Group 2 applies.
Group 2 – Medical location where applied parts are intended to be used, and where discontinuity (failure) of the supply can cause danger to life, in applications such as:
n intracardiac procedures, n vital treatments and surgical operations.
Patients in medical environments can be more vulnerable to electric shock or equipment failure, therefore enhanced protective measures are required. Factors such as touch voltage potential, supplementary protective bonding, and the selection of a suitable earthing system depend on the classification of the medical location. When planning a new installation, designers must consult with medical staff to agree on the correct group classification
for each area. This ensures the installation meets all necessary protection and continuity standards. For existing installations – especially those predating the introduction of the medical location requirements – a detailed assessment should be carried out to assign each area to the appropriate group. Once this classification is in place, compliance with the relevant regulations can then be verified during the Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) process.
Section 710 and Amendment 4 Section 710 was introduced to BS7671 in 2011 and was designed to help electrical designers comply with the requirements already set out in the HTMs. The IET offer
February 2026 Health Estate Journal 39
Wiring regulations affect medical locations such as operating theatres.
& distribution and HTM 06-02 – Electrical safety guidance for low voltage systems.2
The HTM documents
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