Change Summary

• The 2014 NEC continues to prohibit the use of Isolated Ground Receptacles in patient care areas.  However they are permitted outside of these patient care areas within a healthcare facility
• Examples of areas that Isolated Ground receptacles are permitted are nurse monitoring stations and other similar areas
• Article 517.16 was entirely rewritten to reflect this change

Expert Analysis

The way the 2011 NEC was written, Isolated Ground receptacles were no longer permitted in any part of a health care facility.  This reason for this was because the NFPA felt that the use of Isolated Ground receptacles would not assure the equipment grounding conductor redundancy requirements of Article 517.13(A) and (B) for wiring methods within a patient care area.  An unintended consequence of this action was that Isolated Ground receptacles were also not permitted in other areas within Health Care Facilities outside of patient care areas.  Isolated Ground receptacles can provide benefits for sensitive equipment like critical care monitors at nurse stations and other similar areas.  The NFPA has recognized the flaw in limiting the use of Isolated Ground receptacles and now the 2014 NEC allows Isolated Ground Receptacles outside of patient care areas within Health Care facilities.
 

Isolated Ground Receptacles

Leviton makes Isolated Ground Receptacles in many grades for different applications and power requirements.

• Available in Industrial Grade and Hospital Grade
• Available in Duplex, Decora, Locking and various NEMA configurations
• Tamper-Resistant available
• Modular Lev-Lok configuration available.
• Isolated Ground available for 15, 20, 30, 50 and 60 Amps, and 125, 250 voltage configurations
• Many colors available