New initiatives address conflicts for power taps

The American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) recently became aware of survey citations for the failure to use Underwriters Laboratories Inc.’s (UL’s) Outline of Investigation 2930-listed movable power supplies within the patient care vicinity. 

In our efforts to decipher this issue, we discovered that UL 2930 was commissioned through UL to fill a gap for movable power supply connections. 

UL Outline of Investigation 1363a covers special purpose relocatable power taps (SPRPTs). These are for indoor use with medical equipment that is to be used in general or critical care areas to supply power to plug-connected components of movable equipment assemblies that are rack-, table- or pedestal-mounted. UL Outline of Investigation 2930 covers health care facility receptacle outlet assemblies (HCOAs), which are for use as a movable power supply connection for cord- and plug-connected medical electrical utilization equipment for use in general and critical patient care areas, including the patient care vicinity.

While there are movable UL 1363a-listed SPRPTs available from a variety of manufacturers, it should be noted that, while 1363a does not exclude covering movable types of devices, the outline does not specifically cover them. The new 2930 outline does specifically cover these types of devices.

During ASHE’s investigation, it found that UL Outlines of Investigations are developed in a non-consensus process typically funded by a manufacturer bringing a device to market. UL 1363a and UL 2930 are still in an Outline of Investigation format and not a Standard format. Moving forward, ASHE plans to:

• Become involved in advancing 1363a and 2930 to a standard format with the goal of a single UL Standard.
• Work with code development organizations to update the codes and standards to allow both UL listings.
• Work with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to allow devices with either listing to be used within care areas through a categorical waiver update.