Conduit Requirements for Nurse Call Health Facilities

Health facilities have nurse call systems to provide ways of communication among division wards. Patients within rooms can contact nursing staff at monitoring stations when in need of medical assistance. Staff members can use nurse call systems for administrative purposes along with sending emergency signals. Conduits for system wiring has to be installed following certain requirements to offer electrical safety in health facilities.

Flexible Metal Conduit

• Conduits permitted in health facilities for use in patient care areas must consist of flexible metal and installed with green insulated copper ground conductors. The conductor cannot be less than 6 ft. for total length in any ground control. Fittings approved for grounding has to be used at the end of the conduit.

Plastic Conduit

• For inside and outside the building, schedule 40 PVC plastic conduit type is allowed for underground emergency system wiring. Nurse call health facilities require the use of concrete to encase the conduit. Only schedule 80 PVC conduit is allowed without a concrete encasement. Branch circuits cannot use either type of PVC conduit within patient care areas.

Low Voltage Cables

• Nurse call communications systems can be installed without the use of conduit. But wiring must consist of low voltage cables. This power supplies must be of "power limited" type with only specific conductors allowed for this use.