We want to thank David for writing the article, “Smooth Start”, appearing in the latest issue of Health Facilities Management. Commissioning of the Emergency Power Supply System (EPSS) should indeed be a separate sub-task of the normal commissioning process and performed by those with several years OJT in healthcare plant operations. With over 500 full EPSS commissioning projects (both new and retrofit) under our belt we can attest to the accuracies of David’s statements.

Q. I would like to know is there anything governing which color exit light you can or must use in your facility and can you have a mixture of red and green?

A. It is typically a local building department color standard.

In my experience you cannot mix the colors. They (bldg/fire dept) school of thought is that the mixed colors can confuse the occupants during an emergency.

 

January 8, 2008 - eBay Inc. (EBAY) has agreed to pay $79,200 in penalties to The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (AQMD) announced to settle an air quality permit violation. The penalty dates to August 2007, when the AQMD found that eBay’s data center facility in Rancho Cordova operated three standby generators for several days "for purposes other than maintenance or emergency use." The district said the generator use resulted in a emissions (including nitrogen oxides and diesel particulate matter) in excess of the limits set by EBay's permits.

"Bad air is bad for business and discharging harmful pollutants over several days carries a big fine when compromising the air quality and the health of our residents," said Larry Greene, Executive Officer of the Air Quality Management District (AQMDO)

eBay isn't the only data center owner facing possible financial penalties for permitting issues with generators.

DuPont Fabros (DFT) recently disclosed in an SEC filing that it has received a violation notice from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) about generators at the company's ACC4 data center in Ashburn, Va. The state says that DuPont Fabros has been operating some of the 32 diesel generators at ACC4 since June 2007 without an air permit.

"At this time, we do not know what corrective actions, if any, VDEQ may require and we are unable to estimate the amount of any civil penalties that VDEQ may assess," said the company, which added that it would be indemnified against any penalties by its executive officers.

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Q. I had a question about charging computer on wheel (COWS) at a hospital. The battery is a sealed lead-acid type. What type of restrictions are there on this style versus a lithium battery? J.L.

A. The basis for developing sealed lead acid batteries is to keep the acid from reaching it's gas generating stage during charging. Linked below is the Battery University page that describes these types of batteries. In addition basic HVAC design would be to provide a ventilation system that produces at least 1CFM per square foot of exhaust - thus any system should meet the requirements for exhaust. Don Rust

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is revising the general industry electrical installation standard found in Subpart S of 29 CFR Part 1910. The Agency has determined that electrical hazards in the workplace pose a significant risk of injury or death to employees, and that the requirements in the revised standard, which draw heavily from the 2000 edition of the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces (NFPA 70E), and the 2002 edition of the National Electrical Code (NEC), are reasonably necessary to provide protection from these hazards. This final rule focuses on safety in the design and installation of electric equipment in the workplace. This revision will provide the first update of the installation requirements in the general industry electrical installation standard since 1981.

Read more at: http://www.osha.gov

 

Q.  Do you have a suggested minimum size for a hospital day tank? I know about the maximum size, but had not heard of a minimum.

A. Minimum size depends on the GPH of fuel burned at full load, whether the “return line” goes to the daytank or main tank, and whether there is a “fuel cooler” in place.  There are no minimum “standards” per se in any NFPA document I am aware of.

If there is no fuel cooler (normally mounted in front of the radiator) and the return line goes to the daytank, I like to use, at a minimum, 2 times the max GPH the engine would burn, which is about .08 x kw of load.  (E.G., 1000 kW x .08 = 80 GPH x 2 = 160 gallons).  Some engines get better “gas mileage” than others (I have seen .067 per kW measured on a new CAT), which could reduce the design/size of the daytank.

If there is a fuel cooler, and/or the return line goes back to the main tank, you can get away with something much smaller.

The key is keeping the fuel in the supply line below the maximum temperature as recommended by the engine manufacturer.  Remember, a diesel returns a great deal more fuel (hot) to the tank than it burns.  When diesel fuel gets hot, it expands…therefore reducing horsepower (and kW), because of the way injectors are metered..

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FEMA has just released a document that covers hospital design requirements for Earthquakes, Floods, and High Winds.  You can download the document, or any individual section at the link below.

FEMA 577 - Design Guide for Improving Hospital Safety in Earthquakes, Floods, and High Winds

Here is the section dealing with emergency power:

4.3.5.1 Electrical Power

It is recommended that buildings on hospital campuses that will be occupied during a hurricane, or will be needed within the first few weeks afterwards, be equipped with one or more emergency generators. In addition to providing emergency generators, it is recommended that one or more additional standby generators be considered, because continued availability of electrical power is vital. The purpose of providing the standby generators is to power those circuits that are not powered by the emergency generators. With both emergency and standby generators, the entire facility will be completely backed up. It is recommended that the emergency generator and standby generator systems be electrically connected via manual transfer switches to allow for interconnectivity in the event of emergency generator failure. The standby circuits can be disconnected from the standby generators, and the emergency circuits can be manually added. The emergency generators should be rated for prime power (continuous operation).

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Q. What's your knowledge about testing generator fuel tanks for fuel quality/purity? I already conduct cathodic testing every three years and fuel purity reports upon delivery of new fuel for things like sulfur content, I have no problem sticking the bottom third of the tank as everyone talks about doing, but my sampling company wants to know whose requirement it is so they sample to the correct protocol.  Any ideas?

A. The only mention in NFPA 110 of fuel testing is at NFPA 110, 8.3.8 A fuel quality test shall be performed at least annually using tests approved by ASTM standards. 

I would get the generator dealer(s) to give you a list of “specific” perimeters they want to see in a fuel report.  Such as minimum cetane rating, maximum particulates, maximum water…etc.  This way you have good documentation that you are following “manufacturer’s guidelines”.

In any event, you should have an independent laboratory perform the tests vs. the company soliciting your business for tank cleaning or selling biocides….kinda like the fox guarding the hen house.  For a list of independent labs in your area, please send email.

 

Q. Where can I find code requirements for load switching when paralleled emergency generators are used?

A. The 2005 Edition of NFPA 110 has the following requirement for load switching when two or more generator sets are paralleled:

6.3 Load Switching (Load Shedding).  When two or more engine generator sets are paralleled for emergency power, the paralleled system shall be arranged to inhibit connection of EPS-damaging loads.

6.3.1 Each transfer switch shall have a continuous current rating and interrupting rating for all classes of loads to be served.

6.3.2 The transfer switch shall be capable of withstanding the available fault current at the point of installation.

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Q. I have a question for you concerning color determination of life safety, emergency and critical power.  I'm used to seeing yellow, orange and blue to identify these braches. Do you know if this is just standard practice in the industry?  I noticed here they are starting to use green as life safety and it seemed unusual.  I looked in the code books and couldn't find a reference to any particular colors.  LG, AZ

A.  The code does not distinguish between the branches.  The code only states that emergency power has to be identified in some manner.  In our facility we identify all devices (receptacles and switches) as red, both the device and plate.  Other items such as panel ID, switch board ID, major equipment ID are all labeled with "E" in the name, such as EP1LF (Emergency Panel 1 Life Safety) or EP1C (Emergency Panel 1 Critical) or EP1E (Emergency Panel 1 Equipment).  DC, NC

 

Q. Has there been any clarification on the four hour generator test now required by JCAHO every three years?  NFPA 110 requires that the Normal breaker be opened to the ATS for the duration of this test. What happens if a generator failure occurs during this time?  RH, NC

A. Good point.  NFPA 110 does not address this issue.  Someone would have to be standing by to re-close the breaker.

I am sure there will be proposals made for the 2009 edition of NFPA 110 that will address this “real life” issue.  Dan

 

Emission Rate Set by the EPA Rule

Q. I have heard that in order to achieve the emission rate set by the EPA rule, the engine manufacturer purposely slows down the starting speed. It used to only require 3 to 4 seconds to start (get up to frequency and voltage for generator set), now require 7 to 9 seconds. This would severely effect the hospital emergency power which requires a 10 seconds start per NEC code.  Any comments? JL, IL

A. You're exactly correct....it's a problem (already) we are having to address. I think that some time in the near future we will see the 10 seconds moved to 11 or 12 unless air impingement systems are beefed up. Dan

 

Environment of Care, 7.40 Has Been Amended. "Nameplate Rating" Yet To Be Defined

The JCAHO has just announced they will adopt the 2005 edition of NFPA 110, and begin enforcing NFPA 110, 8.4.9, with modifications to 8.4.9.1 that require the load during the test to be at least 30% of the nameplate rating of the generator. As of June 9, 2006 the JCAHO has not defined "which" nameplate rating, "prime" "or standby", is to be used during the test. There is a 20% difference, resulting in a 6% target differential during the test.

Some hospitals will be required to connect a load bank in parallel with their sets (or add non-essential load to a dedicated manual or automatic transfer switch) in order to reach the 30%, and/or perform multiple tests on parallel generators with one of more units locked out...which will require some planning if the hospital looses normal power during the tests. This of course has not changed with the adoption of the revised JCAHO standard.

Exhaust temperatures that reach manufacturer's guidelines can be substituted for the 30% test, but very few engines will meet this standard if they are not loaded to at least 30% of the nameplate rating. Thirty percent of the "standby" rating will produce a higher temperature.

NFPA 110 reference:
8.4.9 Level 1 EPSS shall be tested for the duration of its assigned class, for at least 4 hours, at least once within every 36 months.
8.4.9.1 The load shall be the EPSS system load running at the time of the test. The test shall be initiated by opening all switches or breakers supplying normal power to the EPSS.
8.4.9.2 A power interruption to non-EPSS loads shall not be required.

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Eyewash Stations

Q. What regulations pertain to having emergency eyewash stations in battery storage areas for emergency generators and are they required? Some of our locations for these areas are remote from a water source or are located away from in house plumbing.

A. In my opinion there should be eye wash stations within 10’ of any battery location. Here are some cites from NFPA 70E, 2004 edition, and from the OSHA regulations.

NFPA 70E, 240.2 – Battery and Battery Rooms. Eye and Body Wash Apparatus. Eye and body wash apparatus shall be maintained in operable condition.

NFPA 70E, 320.8 - Personnel Protective Equipment. The following protective equipment shall be available to employees performing battery maintenance:

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2005 has been an active year for MGI with record numbers of evaluations and commissioning projects undertaken in health care facilities throughout the country. We’re seeing more commissioning projects that involve renovation of systems to accommodate increased energy demands.

As the complexity of these systems increases, facilities turn to us to get the assurance that all systems and equipment not only have maximum reliability, but can be operated in specific ways that increase productivity, efficiency and equipment up-time. Our clients also appreciate that commissioning keeps new and renovation projects compliant and on time, while detailed instruction and training allows the facility to maintain systems in peak operation.

Our figures for facilities contracting for EPSS evaluations have jumped as well. We suspect that that past two hurricane seasons have made everyone justifiably nervous; yet facilities are increasingly aware that annual inspections by service contractors simply do not cover the same ground as an evaluation. An MGI evaluation includes three times the number of points of inspection that a normal annual inspection does.

We are sometimes asked by facilities why they should shell out money for possibly redundant information; yet what we uncover in the course of an evaluation is usually of great interest to our clients! In some cases evaluations have revealed problems that could have caused failure, and in only a few instances have facilities that have undergone evaluations turned out to be in full compliance with all standards. (We are all aware noncompliance can result in equipment failure and/or injury to maintenance personnel!)

On the other hand, the news is not always bad: as a result of an evaluation, some of our clients have actually eliminated the need for expensive improvement projects they were anticipating!

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Hurricane Katrina

Hurricanes prove once again that generators don’t operate well when located outside and exposed to the elements (or in basements below the flood plane). We are not going to print any of the incidents we observed over the last few weeks because of legal issues. However, the October, 2005 issue of Health Facilities Management magazine will have an article on hurricane damages.  Below is an interview Health Facilities Management conducted with Dan Chisholm Sr.

Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed the emergency power supply systems (EPSS) in many hospitals in the Gulf Coast area, leaving medical personnel vulnerable in their hour of greatest need. Word quickly spread about heroic medical teams who supplied air ventilation by hand for days to some critically ill patients as they sweltered through 100-degree-plus temperatures.

It’s not that the EPSS didn’t perform as they were designed. Most, if not all, certainly functioned early on, notes Dan Chisholm Sr., president of MGI Systems Inc. and publisher of Healthcare Engineering Network (www.healthcareengineering.net).

Chisholm has more than a hunch about this. He toured New Orleans and other parts of the Gulf Coast, shortly after Katrina hit land, part of a contingent of EPSS consultants and vendors who lent their expertise to officials struggling to restore even limited power to hospitals and other essential service providers. It quickly became obvious rising floodwaters, flying debris and other factors conspired against all efforts to provide fuel to generators.

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NFPA 110, Emergency and Stand-by Power Systems (2005 edition)

5.6.6 Remote Controls and Alarms. A remote, common audible alarm shall be provided as specified in 5.6.5.2(4) that is powered by the storage battery and located outside of the EPS service room at a work site observable by personnel.

5.6.6.1 An alarm-silencing means shall be provided, and the panel shall include repetitive alarm circuitry so that, after the audible alarm has been silenced, it reactivates after the fault condition has been cleared and has to be restored to its normal position to be silenced again.

5.6.6.2 In lieu of the requirement in 5.6.6.1, a manual alarm-silencing means shall be permitted that silences the audible alarm after the occurrence of the alarm condition, provided such means do not inhibit any subsequent alarms from sounding the audible alarm again without further manual action.

NFPA 99 (2005 Edition) 4.4.1.1.17 Alarm Annunciator. A remote annunciator, storage battery–powered, shall be provided to operate outside of the generating room in a location readily observed by operating personnel at a regular work station (see Section 700.12 of NFPA 70, National Electrical Code). The annunciator shall be hard-wired to indicate alarm conditions of the emergency or auxiliary power source as follows:

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Flexible Metal Raceways - Jeff Cook, IN

(We would like your feedback.  Please send emails to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) this is relatively lengthy I am enclosing some sections from the National Electric Code to make my point. In recent articles you have addressed the use of flexible metal raceways in a hospital. I would like to address the use of surface metal raceways in these areas. In particular those types of raceways that would be used for branch circuit wiring where conduit would not be acceptable or practicable. (i.e. installing a new outlet on a block wall surface)

Although

As you can read below the code is very specific in regards to the raceway being a grounding path by the use of fittings that are labeled as “suitable for use as”. My point being that any electrician that has had to install a surface raceway of some type would be in violation of the NEC. If they were using most of the popular raceway types on the market In my research to find a suitable raceway I have not found a manufacture that meets the requirements of the code for branch circuit wiring.

I know this will open up another big can of worms. But just like the discussion that has been ongoing for several months about outlet strips, common components may not be suitable for use in a healthcare facility.

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Grounding Fuel Tanks

Q. Dan, We have a scenario where two single wall steel fuel tanks will be installed within a facility. My question is this. Should the two tanks be tied to the building steel creating a common bond or should they be floated (isolated ground)?

Thanks in advance,
BP, WA

A. In my opinion, both tanks should be grounded to a common bonding point (building steel if it is available) and never isolated. The tanks will be connected to steel or copper piping and will probably be grounded anyway, unless dielectric fittings are used. Without grounding, flashovers could occur during any lightning event or fault condition. I assume the tanks are installed above ground, since most underground tanks require double wall construction, so they may be subject to direct lightning strikes and therefore should be bonded to a common ground electrode system. Isolating large metal masses such as this is a very dangerous technique in buildings that are essentially all internally grounded throughout.

 

Houston cancer center safeguards against storms and unreliable utility grid with redundant power protection equipment.

Presented by MGE UPS Systems

With so much at stake, a power disturbance or outage could prove disastrous for any hospital running power-sensitive equipment and storing valuable patient data. Even more so, protecting years of priceless critical research can ultimately mean the difference between small steps and giant leaps in medical progress and saving lives.

Ranked as the nation’s top cancer hospital in 2003, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center has, since its inception, upgraded its electrical system and power protection solutions to accommodate the demands of the modernized equipment in its data center. M.D. Anderson has 13,000 employees and experiences 18,700 inpatient visits and 470,000 outpatient treatments annually. In the likelihood of a utility or weather-related blackout M.D. Anderson has depended on its power protection equipment to safeguard valuable data, including years of irreplaceable cancer research, as well as records for patients, medical insurance and the hospital’s facility management and network operations.

Problem:

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