The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has revised its Conditions of Participation (CoPs) to officially adopt the 2012 edition of NFPA 99: Health Care Facilities Code. Beginning July 5, 2016 health care providers that participate in federal reimbursement programs must comply with updated design, performance and testing requirements contained in this document. 

 

What does NFPA 99 mean with regard to Isolated Power?

The 2012 edition of NFPA 99 includes significant changes to the process of designating "wet procedure locations" within health care facilities. The organization's governing body is responsible for designating Wet Procedure Locations in accordance with the following definition:

Wet Procedure Location

  • "3.3.784* Wet Procedure Locations. 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 is condition is intimate to the patient or staff." - NFPA 99 - 2012 

Patient care areas so designated must comply with the following: (NFPA 99 - 2012)

  • "6.3.2.2.8.1* Wet procedure locations shall be provided with special protection against electric shock." 
  • "6.3.2.2.8.2 This special protection shall be provided as follows: 
    • (1) Power distribution system that inherently limits the possible ground-fault current due to a first fault to a low value, without interrupting the power supply
    • (2) *Power distribution system in which the power supply is interrupted if the ground-fault current does, in fact, exceed the trip value of a Class A GFCI"
  • "6.3.2.2.8.4 Operating rooms shall be considered to be a wet procedure location unless a risk assessment conducted by the health care governing body determines otherwise."
  • "6.3.2.2.8.7* Operating rooms defined as wet procedure locations shall be protected by either isolated power or ground-fault circuit interrupters."

Please note that in accordance with Section 6.1.2 (5), the protection required for operating rooms in 6.3.2.2.8.7 applies to existing facilities as well as new construction. 

Learn more by downloading CMS Adopts 2012 Edition of NFPA 99.

 

What's required for Isolated Power System Maintenance?

NFPA 99 Code also requires all Line Isolation Monitors (LIMs) to be tested and documented regularly. Code requires digital LIMs to be tested at least once every 12 months and every month for older, analog designs. To learn more, visit Isolated Power testing requirements