Essential Electrical Systems (EES) are needed in most healthcare facilities for several reasons found within multiple building codes. Most notably these specific requirements are found in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70; National Electrical Code, and NFPA 99; Healthcare Facilities Code. The size and complexity of the required EES can vary significantly depending on building scale, architectural features, occupancy group, and specific clinical and operational needs. The EES must also follow the requirements for an emergency power supply system (EPSS) in NFPA 110; Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems. Both NFPA 99 and NFPA 110 provide details for system configurations and characteristics, but also routine maintenance and operational testing requirements.
EES routine maintenance and operational testing is also mandatory for a healthcare facility to obtain or keep Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) accreditation through approval by the Joint Commission. The Joint Commission’s Elements of Performance (EP) for Genset Testing applies to the facility EES, and references compliance with NFPA 110. Per NFPA 110, records shall be created and kept for all EPSS inspections, operational tests, exercises, repairs, and modifications. These are the records that a healthcare facility must have readily available upon request during a Joint Commission inspection. The entire process of operational testing and record keeping is commonly executed manually by onsite personnel.
While manually performing EES operational testing on a small system may not be considered burdensome, it certainly can be become so when compared to the scale of an EES found in larger healthcare facilities such as hospitals. Not only can the process be time-consuming for onsite personnel, but the risk of procedural inefficiency and data inaccuracy increases due largely to human error and the inability of an individual to perform more than one task at a time.
There are some routine maintenance and operational testing items that will always require visual inspection by on-site personnel, such as checking mechanical connections, observing contact corrosion, or excessive dust or dirt accumulation on transfer switches and paralleling switchgear, performing emergency power source (EPS) fuel quality testing, etc.; however, the majority of the EES operational testing and data recording procedures can be simplified through automation. This is achieved through implementing an electrical power metering and monitoring system with a Joint Commission Reporting Package that is tailored to the facility’s EES to engage system testing, measure and record applicable data, and automatically generate the necessary report documents.
These Joint Commission Reporting Systems are proprietary software packages that use power metering and monitoring systems and integrate with EES equipment controllers. In addition to the specific software, they typically include a dedicated workstation and server, integration with engine-generator controller(s), automatic transfer switch (ATS) controllers and load-side power metering, and generator paralleling switchgear, if applicable. The associated workstations can provide real-time visibility into the operations of the entire EES while simultaneously measuring, recording and storing necessary data. With continuous monitoring the system can capture the EES reacting to an actual electric utility service outage and use the captured data to qualify for the required monthly operational test. After proper commissioning and validation, the test reports can be produced with reliable accuracy and efficiency. Other benefits can include the ability to notify select personnel upon select operations or test results, obtaining individual ATS peak demand data to understand EES loading and spare capacity, understanding power quality of all portions of the EES, and above all, saving the time of on-site maintenance and operations personnel.
Utilizing available tools and technologies that can provide detailed insight and visibility into EES system operations, while streamlining testing procedures and documentation, proves invaluable to any health system. Barton Associates, Inc. has the expertise to design an EES for your organization to leverage such technology adding value and increasing efficiency to your maintenance and operations. If you would like to learn more, please contact Barton’s Director of Electrical Engineering Healthcare, Michael H. Ginder, PE, LEED AP, CEPSS-HC at 717-845-7654 or mhg@ba-inc.com.