By Brad Keyes / Special to Healthcare Facilities Today

Q: One of our communities in Minnesota has just completed their Life Safety Survey and during the brief exit the Fire Marshall indicated that a yearly test on all electrical outlets in each resident room needs to be documented and tested on an annual basis. Could you please point me to the Life Safety Code or the Health Care Facilities Code that pertains to this testing and documentation? 

A: According to section 6.3.4.1.3 of NFPA 99-2012, receptacles not listed as hospital-grade, at patient bed locations and in locations where deep sedation or general anesthesia is administered, shall be tested at intervals not exceeding 12 months. 

But sections 6.3.4.1.1 and 6.3.4.1.2 of NFPA 99-2012 do say that hospital-grade receptacles are required to be tested when they are initially installed, but additional testing of the receptacles in patient care rooms shall be performed at intervals defined by the documented performance data, which would be either the manufacturer’s recommendations, or historical evidence. 

So, to summarize: You do have to test non-hospital-grade receptacles on an annual basis in patient care rooms and anesthetizing locations. But hospital-grade receptacles are not required to be tested annually, but the frequency of the test is based on the performance data.

Brad Keyes, CHSP, is the owner of KEYES Life Safety Compliance, and his expertise is in the management of the Life Safety Program, including the Environment of Care and Emergency Management programs.