ELECTRICAL SAFETY
their medical areas. There are additional regulations surrounding these areas, as they are classified as a special location, so Section 710 Medical Locations of BS7671 must also be applied.
If any defects or items that do not comply with the current standard are identified, then an observation is reported and given a code. This code identifies the severity of the observation. There are four to choose from. n C1 – Danger present, the safety of those using the installation is at risk.
n C2 – Potentially dangerous, the safety of those using the installation may be at risk.
n C3 – Improvement required, A non- compliance has been identified which is not the source of immediate or potential danger, but improvement would significantly enhance the safety of the installation.
n FI – Further investigation, to be attributed where the inspection has revealed an apparent deficiency that could not, due to the limitations or extent of the inspection, be fully identified, and further investigations may reveal a C1 or C2 item.
On completion of the periodic inspection and test, the EICR and observations are issued to the duty-holder, who is responsible for actioning any required remedial works to bring the installation to a satisfactory condition.
What is a medical location? Section 710 in BS7671 identifies the additional requirements that an electrical installation must comply with when the circuits are suppling medical locations. These requirements are also listed in HTM 06-01, and they refer the reader back to BS7671 for guidance. They apply to installations such as: n Hospitals. n Private clinics. n Medical and dental practices. n Healthcare centres. n Dedicated medical rooms in the workplace to provide for the safety of patients and medical staff.
n Buildings that carry out medical research on patients.
A medical location is defined by three groups
Medical location group definitions as per IET Guidance Note 7. n Group 0 –A medical location where no applied parts are intended to be used, and where discontinuity (failure) of the supply cannot cause danger to life.
n Group 1 –A 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: •externally.
36 Health Estate Journal October 2021
A Group 2 medical location? In an operating theatre applied parts will be used on a patient. The definition of each group requires detailed analysis.
Sequence of build and maintenance – It’s important to remember the ongoing requirements of your building after the design process. Ongoing maintenance is required to comply with statutory regulations.
•invasively to any part of the body, except where Group 2 applies.
n Group 2 –A 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: •intracardiac procedures. •vital treatments and surgical operations.
A medical location requires extra safety measures to help protect patients in the event of a fault. Items such as circuit disconnect times, supplementary protective bonding, and the correct type of residual current device (RCD), are all determined depending on the medical location group. When a new installation is designed, the use and requirements of the location should be discussed with the medical staff to determine the medical location group to be assigned to the installation. On installations that were installed before the medical location regulations were introduced, a detailed assessment would be required to assign a group to each area. With the area defined as the correct medical location group, the regulation requirements could be checked when the EICR is carried out.
How is an EICR completed in a healthcare installation?
With a wealth of experience working in the healthcare sector, Guardian has developed a unique approach to completing an EICR in a medical location. Each client is allocated a a dedicated Contract manager, who is technically trained to understand the requirements of the regulations, and is Authorised Person Low Voltage (AP LV – HTM 06-02) approved, but, most importantly, has patient and staff safety as the focus in the delivery of the project. Each site is treated on an individual basis, and from the initial meeting, an assessment is carried out to review the current statutory position of the electrical installation. This includes a review of current processes, EICRs, network drawings, and of area medical location group allocation, condition, and the age of the installation.
Depending on the outcome from the initial meeting, a site-specific programme of works will be created. In most cases the project will start with a first stage strategy. This is a non-intrusive survey and inspection of the LV distribution system. From the LV side of each transformer to the final circuit distribution boards, a network drawing is compiled to show the distribution of the electrical system. This drawing will contain all main panel and distribution board details – such as manufacturer, protective devices installed, and sub-main conductor cross- sectional areas. A team of competent and experienced electrical inspectors will complete an EICR for each switch panel and distribution board within the installation. At this stage there is no inspection and testing of final circuits, but there is an earth fault loop impedance and prospective fault current measured at each piece of distribution equipment, and a thorough visual inspection completed. On completion of the first stage strategy, the duty-holder is issued
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