National Electrical Code of The Philippines

NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES
Article 517, Health Care Facilities
Article 517 of the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) covers requirements to
the construction and installation of electrical equipment in health care facilities.
Health care facilities are defined in 517.2 as “buildings, portions of buildings, or
mobile enclosures in which human, medical, dental, psychiatric, nursing, obstetrical, or
surgical care is provided [99:3.3.71].
Part I covers general requirements such as the scope and definitions that apply to
these facilities.
Requirements of Parts II and III apply to multifunction facilities with respect to
patient care areas and rooms with those types of occupancies.
Also, Chapters 5, 6, and 7 may supplement or modify the requirements in
Chapters 1 through 7.
Types Of Health Care Facilities
When most people think of health care facilities, they think of hospitals or
emergency care units. However, the informational note in the NEC 517.2 definition of
Health Care Facilities also includes, but not limited to:
 hospitals
 nursing homes
 limited care facilities,
 clinics,
 medical and dental offices,
 and ambulatory care centers.
Article 517 applies to electrical construction and installation criteria in health care
facilities that provide services to human beings.
It is not intended to be applicable to veterinary care facilities or clinics used for
medical treatment for animals.

Patient Care Vicinity
Article 517.2 defines patient care vicinity as a space intended for the examination
and treatment of patients that extends 1.8 m (6 ft) beyond the normal location of the bed,
chair, or other device that supports the patient during examination and treatment and
extending vertically to 2.3 m (7 ft 6 in.) above the floor (see figure above).
Part II Wiring And Protection
Part II of Article 517 applies to all patient care spaces within health care facilities.
Part II is required to apply to areas where patients are intended to be placed on life
support systems or subjected to invasive procedures and connected to line-operated
electromedical devices within these limited care facilities.
It does not apply to business offices, corridors, waiting rooms, and the like in
clinics, medical and dental offices, outpatient facilities, or areas used exclusively for
immunizations, psychiatry and psychotherapy, alternative medicine or optometry.
Wiring methods for health care facilities are required to comply with the
applicable provisions of Chapters 1 through 4 except as modified, supplemented, or
amended by Article 517. See also 90.3, Code Arrangement.90.3 Application Example.
In Article 517, the equipment grounding conductor requirements for branch
circuits serving patient care locations is amended to be more restrictive. Two equipment
grounding (protective bonding) paths are the goal and rule.
Section 517.13(A) modifies the general requirements in Article 250 by requiring
an insulated, copper equipment grounding conductor and installing this conductor in a
metal raceway that qualifies as an equipment grounding return path in accordance with
Section 250.118.
The amendments/modifications are as follows:
 Insulated, copper equipment grounding conductors
 Installed in metal raceways that are identified equipment grounding
conductor return paths.
These are two more restrictive requirements than what is normally acceptable in
Section 250.118.
Part III Essential Electrical Systems
Part III covers essential electrical systems as noted in Section 517.25. The section
mandates that Type 1 and Type 2 essential electrical services (ESS) for healthcare
facilities shall comprise separate branches capable of supplying a limited amount of
lighting and power service, considered essential for the life safety and orderly cessation
of procedures during the time normal electrical service is interrupted. Additional
information can be found in NFPA 99-2018, Health Care Facilities.
Part IV Inhalation Anesthetizing Location Classification
Part IV applies to locations where flammable anesthetics are employed. If either
of the anesthetizing locations in 517.60(A) or (B) is considered a wet procedure location,
refer to 517.20. Safeguarding information can be found in NFPA 99.
Part V X-Ray Applications

Part V applies to the use of X-ray installations. Nothing in this part of the Code
should be construed as specifying safeguards against the useful beam or stray X-ray
radiation. Radiation safety and performance requirements are enforced by the
Department of Health and Human Services and are regulated under Public Law 90-602.
Part VI Communications, Signaling Systems, Data Systems, Fire Alarm Systems,
And Systems Less Than 120 Volts, Nominal
In patient care spaces, 517.80 requires that equivalent insulation and isolation to
that required for the electrical distribution systems shall be provided for
communications, signaling systems, data system circuits, fire alarm systems, and systems
less than 120 volts, nominal. Class 2 and Class 3 systems are not required to comply with
the grounding requirements of 517.13, to comply with the mechanical protection
requirements of 517.31(C)(3)(5), or to be enclosed in raceways unless otherwise
specified by Chapter 7 or 8.
Part VII Isolated Power Systems
Part VII of Article 517 covers the installation requirements for isolated power
systems in health care facilities. These systems are an optional protection technique that
can be used for certain patient care areas of health care facilities as provided in
517.19(E). Isolated power systems are required to be used where interruption by a GFCI
under fault conditions cannot be tolerated as required by 517.20(A).
Each circuit shall be controlled by a switch that has a disconnecting pole in each
conductor that will disconnect all power simultaneously. Isolation shall be accomplished
by use of isolation transformer(s) having no direct electrical connection between primary
and secondary windings. Motor generators and batteries are permitted. Secondary of
isolated power system is not permitted to be grounded. 250.22(2), 517.160(A)(2).
Codes That Apply To Health Care Facilities

The following standards apply to the protection of electrical equipment and
services within these facilities.
 Automatic Sprinklers, NFPA 13
 Fire Pumps, NFPA 20
 National Electrical Code (NEC), NFPA 70
 Electrical Workplace Safety, NFPA 70E
 National Fire Alarm Code, NFPA 72
 Garages and Parking Structures, NFPA 88A
 Health Care Facilities, NFPA 99
 Life Safety Code, NFPA 101
 Emergency and Standby Power, NFPA 110
 Lightning Protection Code, NFPA 780
 Other Model Building Codes, ICC – IBC
Health care facilities are special occupancies falling under the requirements of
Chapter 5 of the NEC titled “Special Occupancies.” The requirements of Chapters 1
through 4 of the Code are applicable and are modified to be more restrictive in many
areas.
Redundancy of power systems, circuits, grounding and bonding all are directed
toward continuity of power and service for patient care. Careful planning, design,
engineering, installation, and inspection is critical for health care facility electrical system
installations.

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NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES

Article 517, Health Care Facilities

the construction and installation of electrical equipment in health care facilities.

Health care facilities are defined in 517.2 as “buildings, portions of buildings, or

mobile enclosures in which human, medical, dental, psychiatric, nursing, obstetrical, or

surgical care is provided [99:3.3.71].

Requirements of Parts II and III apply to multifunction facilities with respect to

patient care areas and rooms with those types of occupancies.

Also, Chapters 5, 6, and 7 may supplement or modify the requirements in

Types Of Health Care Facilities

Health Care Facilities also includes, but not limited to:

 limited care facilities,

 medical and dental offices,

 and ambulatory care centers.

facilities that provide services to human beings.

It is not intended to be applicable to veterinary care facilities or clinics used for

medical treatment for animals.

Part II Wiring And Protection

support systems or subjected to invasive procedures and connected to line-operated

electromedical devices within these limited care facilities.

immunizations, psychiatry and psychotherapy, alternative medicine or optometry.

applicable provisions of Chapters 1 through 4 except as modified, supplemented, or

grounding (protective bonding) paths are the goal and rule.

Section 517.13(A) modifies the general requirements in Article 250 by requiring

an insulated, copper equipment grounding conductor and installing this conductor in a

The amendments/modifications are as follows:

 Insulated, copper equipment grounding conductors

 Installed in metal raceways that are identified equipment grounding

conductor return paths.

Part III Essential Electrical Systems

facilities shall comprise separate branches capable of supplying a limited amount of

of procedures during the time normal electrical service is interrupted. Additional

information can be found in NFPA 99-2018, Health Care Facilities.

Part IV Inhalation Anesthetizing Location Classification

Part IV applies to locations where flammable anesthetics are employed. If either

of the anesthetizing locations in 517.60(A) or (B) is considered a wet procedure location,

refer to 517.20. Safeguarding information can be found in NFPA 99.

Part V X-Ray Applications

radiation. Radiation safety and performance requirements are enforced by the

Part VI Communications, Signaling Systems, Data Systems, Fire Alarm Systems,

And Systems Less Than 120 Volts, Nominal

the grounding requirements of 517.13, to comply with the mechanical protection

requirements of 517.31(C)(3)(5), or to be enclosed in raceways unless otherwise

Part VII Isolated Power Systems

under fault conditions cannot be tolerated as required by 517.20(A).

by use of isolation transformer(s) having no direct electrical connection between primary

isolated power system is not permitted to be grounded. 250.22(2), 517.160(A)(2).

Codes That Apply To Health Care Facilities

services within these facilities.

 Automatic Sprinklers, NFPA 13

 Fire Pumps, NFPA 20

 National Electrical Code (NEC), NFPA 70

 Electrical Workplace Safety, NFPA 70E

 National Fire Alarm Code, NFPA 72

 Garages and Parking Structures, NFPA 88A

 Health Care Facilities, NFPA 99

 Life Safety Code, NFPA 101

 Emergency and Standby Power, NFPA 110