Iowa Administrative Code › Agency 481 - Inspections and Appeals Department › Inspections Division › Chapter 61 - Minimum Physical Standards for Nursing Facilities › Rule 481-61.12 - Electrical Requirements

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 3, July 24, 2024
All materials, including equipment, conductors, controls and
				  signaling devices, shall be installed to provide a complete electrical system
				  with the necessary characteristics and capacity necessary to supply the
				  electrical needs shown in the specifications or indicated on the plans. All
				  materials shall be listed by Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc., or other
				  similarly recognized laboratories. (Ill)
(1) Electrical systems and equipment shall
				meet the minimum requirements of the "National Electrical Code, 1990 edition."
				(Ill)
(2) Drop cords, extension
				cords or any type of flexible cord shall not be used as a substitute for fixed
				or hard wiring. Surge protectors may be used for computers and related devices,
				facsimile, photocopying and scanning machines, and other consumer electronic
				devices in a resident's room and other locations in a facility provided the
				surge protector is of metal construction and approved by Underwriters
				Laboratories, Inc., or other similarly recognized laboratories. Only fixed
				supplementary electric heating shall be installed. (Ill)
(3) Electrical metallic tubing or rigid heavy
				wall conduit shall be used throughout the interior of the facility. In areas
				used for patient care, the grounding terminals of all receptacles and all
				non-current-carrying conductive surfaces of fixed electrical equipment likely
				to become energized that are subject to personal contact shall be grounded by a
				green insulated copper conductor The grounding conductor shall be sized in
				accordance with the requirements of the "National Electrical Code" and
				installed in electrical metallic tubing with the branch-circuit conductors
				supplying these receptacles or fixed equipment. (Ill) (Exception 3)
(4) Electrical wiring systems shall not be
				surface mounted in resident-occupied areas. (II, III) (Exception 4)
(5) An exit door alarm system shall be
				installed on all designated fire exit doors. (I, II, III)
(6) Panel boards which serve lighting and
				appliance circuits shall be located on the same floor as the circuits they
				serve. All circuits shall be identified on the panel door (III) This
				requirement does not apply to emergency system circuits which can be centrally
				located.
(7) All spaces occupied by
				people, machinery, or equipment within buildings, parking lots, and approaches
				to buildings shall have electric lighting. (Ill)
a. All rooms in resident-occupied areas shall
				have general lighting. Switches for general lighting shall be at the entrance
				to the room. (Ill)
b. Light shall
				be provided in the areas of the building as required in Table 4. Light in the
				resident care area, reading area, activities task area and dining area may be
				reduced to 30 foot-candles measured at the floor surface when tasks are not
				being performed in that area. (II, III) (Exception 4)
Table 4
Area
Measured Site
Required Foot-candles
Resident Rooms:
General
floor
30
Resident care area
bed surface
50
Task lighting
task surface
100
Night light
floor below fixture
5
Staff Areas:
Nursing station
task surface
100
Medication room
task surface
100
Activities task area
task surface
75
Dining area
task surface
50
Corridor, stairway and hazardous area:
General
floor
30
Night light
floor below fixture
10
c.
				Light fixtures shall be equipped to prevent glare and hazards. (Ill)
d. There shall be at least one recessed light
				fixture for night lighting installed no higher than 18 inches above the floor
				in each resident room which shall have a switch at the entrance. (Ill)
				(Exception 3)
e. Night lights shall
				be provided in corridors, at stairways, attendant's stations and hazardous
				areas. They shall be recessed if the bottom of the fixture is less than 6 feet
				8 inches above the floor (III)
f.
				Reading lights or lamps shall be provided for each resident in the resident's
				room. (Ill)
g. Wall-mounted lights
				with flexible or extension arms shall not be used. (Exception 4)