Fire Safety and Electrical Installations in Operating Rooms
Fire and Explosion Risk Prevention Measures
No rooms should be used with flammable anesthetic gas mixtures or disinfecting agents. Figure 2 shows areas G and F, which should not be considered Class I, Zone 1 and Class I, Zone 2 areas, respectively, as stated in ITC-BT-29. Area F, located beneath the operating table (see Figure 2), may be considered a safe zone from fire or explosion if ventilation of 15 air changes/hour is ensured.
The floors of operating rooms must be anti-electrostatic, and their insulation resistance must not exceed 1 MΩ, unless a higher value (always less than 100 MΩ) is proven not to lead to electrostatic charge build-up.
A proper ventilation system is prescribed to prevent concentrations of gases used for anesthesia and disinfection.
Figure 2. Areas with risk of fire and explosion in an operating room when using flammable anesthetic gas mixtures or disinfecting agents.
Control and Maintenance
Before Commissioning the Installation
The authorized installation company must provide a written report on the results of the checks carried out during the installation’s execution, including at least:
- Operation of protection measures
- Continuity of active conductors and protection conductors grounded
- Strength of connections of protection conductors and equipotential connections to insulation resistance between conductors and ground assets in each circuit
- Grounding resistance
- Insulation resistance of anti-electrostatic soil and operation of all additional supplies
After Commissioning
The proper functioning of the insulation monitoring device and protection devices will be checked at least weekly. Similarly, measurements of continuity and insulation resistance of the various circuits within the operating rooms will be taken at least monthly.
The various teams must follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Periodic facility reviews must be made as provided in ITC-BT-05, including the checks listed in section 2.4.1.
In addition to periodic inspections set in ITC-BT-05, there will be an annual review by an approved installation company, including, in both cases, the verifications referred to in section 2.4.1 above.
Record-Keeping
All checks will be collected in a “record-keeping book” for each operating room, expressing the results achieved and the dates they were made, with the signature of the technician who conducted them. Similarly, any reported anomalies will be reflected in detail to have a history that can serve as a basis for correcting deficiencies.
Special Installation of Receivers in Operating Rooms
All metallic masses of invasive electrical receivers must be connected through a protection conductor to a common grounding protection (PT in Figure 1), and this, in turn, to the general grounding of the building.
Invasive electrical receivers are those that, from an electrical standpoint, partially or completely penetrate the body, either through a body orifice or through the body’s surface. That is, those products that could present a risk to the patient due to endocavitary operation microshocks. Examples include electrocautery, radiological equipment, cardiovascular intervention, certain monitoring equipment, etc.
Non-invasive receivers must connect to the power supply network through an isolation transformer. Non-invasive electrical receivers, such as magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, analytical equipment, non-interventional radiological equipment, follow the general installation rules identified in ITC-BT-43.
Purpose and Scope
This instruction applies to generating facilities, meaning those designed to transform any type of energy into electrical energy.
For the purposes of this instruction, “Public Distribution Networks” are defined as power grids owned or operated by companies whose primary purpose is the distribution of electricity for sale to third parties. Also, the term “optional plug-in” refers to companies that, as an alternative to their main activities, produce, individually or jointly, electricity for, in whole or in part, their own needs.
Classification
Generating facilities are classified according to their performance on the Public Distribution Network as:
Isolated Generating Facilities
Those in which there can be no electrical connection with the Public Distribution Network.
Assisted Generating Facilities
Those in which there is a connection with the Distribution Network Service, but no generators are to be working in parallel with it. The preferred source of supply may be both the generating groups and the Public Distribution Network, leaving the other source as relief or support. To prevent the simultaneous connection of both, the corresponding switching systems must be installed. However, load transfer maneuvering without interruption will be possible, provided that the technical requirements described in section 4.2 are met.
Interconnected Generating Facilities
Those that are normally working in parallel with the Public Distribution Network.