01/30/2025

You Asked... We Answered

You Asked: 

What equipment can be plugged into a power strip in a resident room? 

We Answered:

Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has put together guidance on power strip usage in their Preventative Maintenance Manual. Here is ODH’s list of regulatory considerations for power strip usage:

• Power strips may not be used in a patient care vicinity to power non-patient care-related electrical equipment.
• Power strips may be used outside of the patient care vicinity for both patient care-related electrical equipment & non-patient-care-related electrical equipment.
• “Patient care vicinity” is defined in section 3.3.139 as a space, within a location intended for the examination and treatment of patients (i.e., patient care room) extending 6 ft. beyond the normal location of the bed, chair, table, treadmill, or other device that supports the patient during examination and treatment.
• Multi-plug adapters are not allowed.
• Medical equipment: Underwriters Laboratories (UL) UL1363A or UL60601-1
• Personal electrical equipment: Underwriters Laboratories (UL) UL1363
• Power strips may not be used to plug in appliances such as refrigerators, microwaves, vending machines, etc.
• Power strips may not be used through doorways, window, under rugs, or similar areas.
• Power strips may not be used to plug in life saving devices which would include oxygen concentrators.
• Power strips are not permitted be permanently attached to the wall or any other surface (this is considered using temporary wiring as permanent wiring)
• Approved power strips are not allowed to be plugged into another power strip (daisy-chained) and extension cords are not permitted to be plugged into the power strip.
• 10.4.2.1 Nonpatient care–related electrical equipment, including facility- or patient-owned appliances that are used in the patient care vicinity and will, in normal use, contact patients, shall be visually inspected by the patient’s care staff or other personnel.
• 10.4.2.2 Any equipment that appears not to be in proper working order or in a worn condition shall be removed from service or reported to the appropriate maintenance staff.
• Where additional outlets are needed in the “patient vicinity”, they must be installed in accordance with NFPA 70, The National Electrical Code, 2011 edition.

Additional guidance can be found on the CMS Life Safety Code & Health Care Facilities Code Requirements webpage.