Sunday, November 19, 2006

If it makes sense for hospitals, why not homes?

I have always installed receptacles with the ground prong up (or neutral up if mounted horizontally). The only exception would be for an appliance with an immediate turn plug. In that case I make sure the cord hangs down to place less strain on the receptacle and cord.

The National Electric Code has no opinion on the orientation of receptacles. Perhaps it should? (FWIW, numerous proposals to revise the NEC have been turned down by the code making panels declaring it a design choice, not a safety issue)

FDA Public Health Notification about bed fires
[...]Check all electrical outlets, including accessory outlets that may be mounted on patient beds, for cleanliness, physical integrity, and functionality. The IEEE standard 602-1996, section 4.2.2 advises that hospital-grade outlets be used and that they should be mounted with the ground pin or neutral blade up to assure that any metal that may drop between the plug and the wall will most likely contact an unenergized blade. (Specifications for “hospital-grade” connectors appear in UL498-2001, Supplement SD.)[...]

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