Stainless Steel Electrical Panels in Surgery: Required?

[SparksRfun]

Our normal practice is to use stainless steel fronts on electrical panels in surgery suites. We have a 150A disconnect for a machine that has to go in a Cath Lab, which we've been instructed to treat as if it is a surgery area for design purposes. However, designing this item in stainless steel is being questioned due to cost.

Are stainless steel covers required by code in surgery suites? Or just normal practice?



SparksRfun

"The truth will set you free, but first it will make you madder than a wet bobcat"

 

[ScottyUK]

When you're asking code questions it makes sense to state which country you are in, otherwise everyone will assume you're some hillbilly from the backwoods of the USA who isn't aware that other countries exist. And we wouldn't want that would we...?


If the client is prepared to pay for their panel in stainless and it meets code requirements then why would there be a problem? Are you trying to save the client money, or maximise your profit? Both are worthy goals, if done by ethical means.


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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!

 

[SparksRfun]

OK, I am in the US, and we are working in Oklahoma. (You can draw your own conclusions as to whether any of us are hillbillies.... )

However, I think this panel should be stainless, and I'd rather not use anything else. An Architect, who may or may not know any better, wants to try to save a few bucks and use plain painted steel. I am trying to figure out if there is a requirement for stainless in surgery suites, or if it is just a recommended practice.



SparksRfun

"The truth will set you free, but first it will make you madder than a wet bobcat"

 

[ScottyUK]

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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!

 

[Skogsgurra]

That hillbilly thingy simplifies things a lot. As long as you eat roadkill, you can use any old cardboard to build panels from

Gunnar Englund

http://www.gke.org

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100 % recycled posting: Electrons, ideas, finger-tips have been used over and over again...

 

[BJC]

I have never seen a panel in a "surgery" (operating room).
I don't think I would want to be treated in one.
It's been awhile since I worked in an operating room but every thing could stand disiinfecting and haveing the blood washed off of things. If there was something in there I would want it at least NEMA 4X.

 

[alehman]

Besides codes and good practice, you may have accreditation rules such as JCAHO to consider.

Alan
“The engineer's first problem in any design situation is to discover what the problem really is.” Unk.

 

[DRWeig]

1. Check JCAHO.
2. Check with the hospital's infection control doctor.

I was director of engineering in two different large hospitals, years ago. Nobody seemed to care what the material used was, as long as it could be sterilized with washdown containing bleach.

Some were stainless, some were epoxy painted, all were gasketed. We didn't put panelboards (load centers) in surgery or cath lab type rooms where a sterile field is required. That was long ago, though -- do items 1 and 2 above to get current info.

Let us know how it turns out!

Good on ya,

Goober Dave