Medical Gas Alarm Wiring
Posted by Dan Chisholm Jr.
on Monday, 21 November 2011 in Latest News
Dan Chisholm Jr.
Dan is President of MGI Systems and Co-Founder of Medical Gas Certifications, Inc. Dan specializes in facility...
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Q: Does medical gas alarm signal wiring (i.e. wiring from sensors/transducers to master or area alarm warning panels) have to be installed in conduit?
A: There have been many interpretations to this question over the years. In the 1999, 2002, and 2005 editions of NFPA 99, the language for alarm signal wiring was unchanged and was required to be installed per the following:
Wiring from switches and sensors that is supervised or protected as required by Section 517.30 (c) (3) of NFPA 70, National Electric Code, for emergency system circuits.
Since there is text in the referenced NFPA 70 section that suggests that some wiring shall be installed in conduit, it was assumed by many that alarm signal wiring for medical gas systems had to be installed in conduit.
The new wording in the 2012 edition of NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code, was changed to the following.
5.1.9* Category 1 Warning Systems.
5.1.9.1 General. All master, area, and local alarm systems used for medical gas and vacuum systems shall include the following:
(11) Where used for communications, wiring from switches or sensors that is supervised or protected as required by 517.30 (C)(3) of NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, for life safety and critical branches circuits in which protection is any of the following types:
(a) Conduit
(b) Free air
(c) Wire
(d) Cable tray
(e) Raceways
In the new "Medical Gas and Vacuum Systems Installation Handbook" that is the replacement of the NFPA 99C document, there is a clearing of the air on this age old question. The editor states in the handbook that, "The new language in this paragraph helps resolve a problem that has existed ever since the elimination of the requirement for conduit. The paragraph now includes the different protection methods of alarm signal wiring."
As you can see from the editors note, medical gas alarm signal wiring does NOT need to be installed in conduit to meet the requirements of NFPA 99. As long as the wiring is "supervised", which means that if the alarm initiating device loses "contact" with the alarm panel, it must initiate an alarm, then any of the protection methods described above meets the intent of the code.
Answered by: Jonathan C. Willard
Mr. Jonathan C. Willard is the president and owner of Certified Medical Gas Services in New Boston, NH. He has worked in the medical gas and health care construction industry for over 16 years. Prior to starting CMGS, he was the vice president of operations for a large mechanical contractor and also worked as a project manager on some of the most significant healthcare projects in the region. In addition to attaining the following medical gas credentials, Mr. Willard is a principal member of the Technical Committee on Medical Gas and Vacuum Piping Systems (NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities) and a principal member of the Technical Committee on Industrial and Medical Gases (NFPA 51, 51A, & 55). He currently serves on the Medical Gas Professional Healthcare Organization (MGPHO) Board of Directors as Vice President of Legal and is also a LEED AP (Accredited Professional), a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), and a Certified Healthcare Constructor (CHC) with a Master of Science degree in Business Education (MBE).
ASSE 6010 Medical Gas Systems Installer Certified
ASSE 6015 Bulk Medical Gas Systems Installer Certified
ASSE 6020 Medical Gas Systems Inspector Certified
ASSE 6030 Medical Gas Systems Verifier Certified
ASSE 6040 Medical Gas Systems Maintenance Personnel Certified
ASSE 6050 Medical Gas Systems Instructor Certified
MGPHO Credentialed Medical Gas Verifier (V-0135)
Disclaimer:
Important Notice: Although Jonathan C. Willard is a principal member of the NFPA Technical Committee on Medical Gas and Vacuum Piping Systems, which is responsible for the applicable sections of NFPA 99 Standard for Health Care Facilities and a principal member of the NFPA Technical Committee on Industrial and Medical Gases, responsible for NFPA 51, 51A, & 55, the views and opinions expressed in this message are purely the authors and shall not be considered an official position of the NFPA or any of its Technical Committees and shall not be considered, nor be relied upon as, a Formal Interpretation or promotion of the NFPA. Readers are encouraged to refer to the entire text of all referenced documents.
A: There have been many interpretations to this question over the years. In the 1999, 2002, and 2005 editions of NFPA 99, the language for alarm signal wiring was unchanged and was required to be installed per the following:
Wiring from switches and sensors that is supervised or protected as required by Section 517.30 (c) (3) of NFPA 70, National Electric Code, for emergency system circuits.
Since there is text in the referenced NFPA 70 section that suggests that some wiring shall be installed in conduit, it was assumed by many that alarm signal wiring for medical gas systems had to be installed in conduit.
The new wording in the 2012 edition of NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code, was changed to the following.
5.1.9* Category 1 Warning Systems.
5.1.9.1 General. All master, area, and local alarm systems used for medical gas and vacuum systems shall include the following:
(11) Where used for communications, wiring from switches or sensors that is supervised or protected as required by 517.30 (C)(3) of NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, for life safety and critical branches circuits in which protection is any of the following types:
(a) Conduit
(b) Free air
(c) Wire
(d) Cable tray
(e) Raceways
In the new "Medical Gas and Vacuum Systems Installation Handbook" that is the replacement of the NFPA 99C document, there is a clearing of the air on this age old question. The editor states in the handbook that, "The new language in this paragraph helps resolve a problem that has existed ever since the elimination of the requirement for conduit. The paragraph now includes the different protection methods of alarm signal wiring."
As you can see from the editors note, medical gas alarm signal wiring does NOT need to be installed in conduit to meet the requirements of NFPA 99. As long as the wiring is "supervised", which means that if the alarm initiating device loses "contact" with the alarm panel, it must initiate an alarm, then any of the protection methods described above meets the intent of the code.
Answered by: Jonathan C. Willard
Mr. Jonathan C. Willard is the president and owner of Certified Medical Gas Services in New Boston, NH. He has worked in the medical gas and health care construction industry for over 16 years. Prior to starting CMGS, he was the vice president of operations for a large mechanical contractor and also worked as a project manager on some of the most significant healthcare projects in the region. In addition to attaining the following medical gas credentials, Mr. Willard is a principal member of the Technical Committee on Medical Gas and Vacuum Piping Systems (NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities) and a principal member of the Technical Committee on Industrial and Medical Gases (NFPA 51, 51A, & 55). He currently serves on the Medical Gas Professional Healthcare Organization (MGPHO) Board of Directors as Vice President of Legal and is also a LEED AP (Accredited Professional), a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), and a Certified Healthcare Constructor (CHC) with a Master of Science degree in Business Education (MBE).
ASSE 6010 Medical Gas Systems Installer Certified
ASSE 6015 Bulk Medical Gas Systems Installer Certified
ASSE 6020 Medical Gas Systems Inspector Certified
ASSE 6030 Medical Gas Systems Verifier Certified
ASSE 6040 Medical Gas Systems Maintenance Personnel Certified
ASSE 6050 Medical Gas Systems Instructor Certified
MGPHO Credentialed Medical Gas Verifier (V-0135)
Disclaimer:
Important Notice: Although Jonathan C. Willard is a principal member of the NFPA Technical Committee on Medical Gas and Vacuum Piping Systems, which is responsible for the applicable sections of NFPA 99 Standard for Health Care Facilities and a principal member of the NFPA Technical Committee on Industrial and Medical Gases, responsible for NFPA 51, 51A, & 55, the views and opinions expressed in this message are purely the authors and shall not be considered an official position of the NFPA or any of its Technical Committees and shall not be considered, nor be relied upon as, a Formal Interpretation or promotion of the NFPA. Readers are encouraged to refer to the entire text of all referenced documents.
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