TYPE 1 AND 3 EES POWER-SOURCE CLASSIFICATIONS FOR AN ASC
NFPA 99 refers to NFPA 111 and NFPA 110 when defining classification standards for backup or alternate power sources and generators. For our purposes:
- Type 1 and Type 2 essential electrical systems correspond to a Type 10, Class X, Level 1 category under NFPA 110.
- Type 3 essential electrical systems fall under Type 10, Class X, Level 2.
Understanding these components helps clarify their meaning:
Type
This indicates the maximum allowable power-transfer delay, measured in seconds. A Type 10 system means the transfer to backup power must occur within 10 seconds.
Class
This relates to the reserve runtime—the minimum number of hours the alternate source of power must be able to operate at its rated load without needing to be refueled or recharged. For Class X, no fixed runtime is specified. Instead, NFPA 110 and 111 note it as “other time in hours as required by the application, code, or user.”
In the case of an Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC), this is generally left to the physicians to decide how long is necessary to complete a procedure safely.
However, accreditation underwriters often set their own minimum, which in most cases is 2 hours.
Level
NFPA 110 and 111 establish two levels:
Level 2 systems are used where a power outage would be less critical to patient safety or human life.
Level 1 systems are required where equipment failure could result in loss of life or serious injury.
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