EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management Electrical Outlets

Does anybody have a 'standards' sheet indicating the minimum distance from the floor as to where the electrical sockets must be placed in a clinical area. I have read, but cannot find that the minimum distance is 110cm.

Please help

Hi Neil
Have you tried HTM08-03
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/144247/HTM_08-03.pdf

Regards

Brian

Sorry Neil, but you're going to have to be specific about what is considered a "clinical area".

Also, which Standards (in general) are (or were) the buildings built to? "American", I should imagine.

From memory (in the absence of any over-riding Standard), the height of wall outlets in Minor OR and similar rooms was generaly set at 1300 mm FFL.

However ... what about the "cleaner" (vacuum, polisher) outlet? At low level (30 mm FFL?) and outside of the "patient zone" (hopefully).

PS: I donated all my "Hospital Design" reference books to the office library for my mates in Riyadh before I left. But I'm sure that any of the well known "Engineering Consultants" could advise you, Neil.

In the UK refer to the Building regulations Approved Document M and BS 8300. Outlets can be installed between 400mm and 1000mm above the floor, switches for fixed equipment can be installed between 400mm and 1200mm above the floor (but can be higher if needed). This applies to all non-dewling buildings, however floor sockets are also allowed, as found in offices.

One error in HTM08-03 is it fails to mention the wiring regulations BS7671. It also mentions MEIGaN, which is now withdrawn as superseded by BS7671.

I meant 300 mm FFL there, of course.

Standards? What Standards? When the Client had no real concept of what all that meant (not an entirely unusual situation), we used to run with the "Rules of Thumb" that the "Hospital Team" had used and developed over the years! And at least those "norms" were based on practical experience (not to mention common sense), and were consistently applied (and, by and large, worked well enough).

Read that one and .04 and quite a few more, no figures given

Geoff, From memory (in the absence of any over-riding Standard), the height of wall outlets in Minor OR and similar rooms was generally set at 1300 mm FFL. but is there something in writing. Clinical areas are areas where patients are being treated. Please do not mention 'common sense' I leave that in my suitcase for holidays.

Yes; in the "Approved Drawings"!

In other words, if you can't find the Standards you need (or they don't do what you want) - draw up your own, then get them approved by "Higher Authority". And then follow them! Sooner or later other folk will be using your "norms" and calling them the Standard!