National Electrical Code

NEC Requirements for Health Care Facilities

June 19, 2018

Article 517 highlights

Article 517 of the National Electrical Code (NEC) provides the requirements for health care facilities. Here are some highlights:

The requirements apply even to portions of buildings [Sec. 517.1].
The NEC broadly defines “health care facility” to include more than hospitals. It’s any building (or portion of a building) or mobile enclosure for providing people with care such as dental, psychiatric, nursing, surgery, etc. [Sec. 517.2].
Branch circuits serving patient care areas must have an effective ground-fault current path; this means run the circuit in a metallic raceway, metal-armored cable, or metallic sheath assembly [Sec. 517.12(A)].
Article 517 emphasizes the equipment grounding conductor, because it serves a key safety role.
Receptacle requirements and other requirements vary by type of space. The type is defined by its usage. These are general care [Sec. 517.18], critical care [Sec. 517.19], and wet procedure [Sec. 517.20].
A major chunk of Art. 517 is devoted to the “essential electrical system” for these facilities. The system must be capable of supplying a limited amount of lighting and power service that’s considered essential for life and safety and for orderly cessation of procedures during a power interruption [Sec. 517.25].

About the Author

Mark Lamendola

Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.

Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.

Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.