(a) Electrically sensitive patient areas are those areas of the hospital where patients with invasive instrumentation (that can provide electrically conductive pathways directly to the heart) are usually located. These patients are particularly vulnerable to accidental electrocution from contact with equipment or other conducting surfaces bearing electrical potentials that would not normally be considered hazardous. These patient care areas must be provided with additional electrical safeguards. Such areas include but are not limited to:

(b) All circuits serving electrically sensitive patient care areas shall have equipotential bonding.

(c) Each patient bed shall be served by receptacles from two separate circuits and, as a minimum, one of the circuits shall be from a separate emergency power source. A portion of the receptacles should be located other than at the head of the bed.

(d) All circuits from the same source shall be in the same phase.

(e) To protect instrumented patients who are vulnerable to electric shock hazards, all conducting surfaces, that are or could be located within six feet of a patient shall be tested regularly and shown to meet the requirements set forth below. The measurements shall be made using a standard test load to simulate the conducting pathway provided by the patient. The standard test load and test conditions shall meet the requirements in Safe Current Limits: AAMI Safety Standard for Electromedical Apparatus, published April 1974 by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, 1500 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 417, Arlington, VA 22209.

(f) All electrical service outlets and grounding circuits shall be inspected at least quarterly.

(g) All portable (minor movable) electromedical equipment that is used in electrically sensitive patient areas shall be included in an appropriate preventive maintenance program.