[Amps] 220V wiring: Was Question about safety ground connection

johna8119-amps@yahoo.com johna8119-amps at yahoo.com
Thu Nov 17 12:44:43 EST 2005


The discussion about codes reminds me of what I have faced, working in hospitals for the past 35
years.  Every three years, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
(JCAHO) surveys most hospitals in the US.  Every survey is greeted by hospital subcontractors with
glee as JCAHO (pronounced jay-koh) changes the requirements for everything from record keeping to
room size to light intensity.
I have seen the doors from one area to another change every three years from having a large clear
heavy safety glass window to a large semi-opaque heavy safety glass window to solid metal to solid
metal with a little bitty window to solid metal with a slightly larger window.  I'm sure I've left
out a couple of changes.
We see JCAHO make requirements on pediatric hospitals that were designed for adult hospitals, and
which worsen care of pediatric-size patients.
Many of the JCAHO requirements are of a CYA nature.  Big glass windows in a door may fail during a
fire, and the fire may worsen.  But since their removal, I've seen several people knocked
senseless by someone on emergency call charging through one of the doors with no idea of what's on
the other side.  In the past, even the semi-opaque windows alerted you to the presence of someone
on the opposite side.  Of course, now JCAHO requires two humongous doors, each of which
electrically opens in opposite direction and both of which have photo control to avoid collision. 
I've been trapped once when the photo control circuit failed for 20 minutes, locking everyone in
(or out of) the unit.

Maybe the NEC is run by the same type of folks.

John
w4kv 


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