Information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure is vital in healthcare facilities, playing a critical role in saving lives and ensuring efficient operations.
Designing and planning Telecommunication Rooms (TRs) in healthcare facilities require special considerations. Designers and builders prioritize creating reliable networks that support patient care, comply with regulations, enhance safety, and allow for future scalability—all while staying within budget.
One of the most important goals for those designing and building health care facilities is meeting the International Building Code’s (IBC) Risk Category IV criteria. This standard ensures hospitals, including their nonstructural components, remain operational during natural disasters and emergencies.
This blog explores emergency preparedness, building codes, seismic requirements, and best practices for designing resilient, future-ready networks.
Critical Facilities Requirements
Natural disasters are unpredictable, making preparedness and preventative measures crucial in healthcare facilities. To ensure operations during flooding and hurricanes, TIA-569-D 6.3.8 specifies that TRs must be above water level unless preventative measures against water infiltration are employed.
TRs should be free of water or drain pipes not required for equipment support. A floor drain with a backflow preventer is necessary if there’s a risk of water ingress. Facilities in seismically active areas face unique challenges, as earthquakes occur daily worldwide—not just in California.
Mission-Critical Telecom Rooms
Mission-critical facilities must remain operational after an earthquake. In California, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) oversees permitting for hospitals and healthcare facilities. The California Building Code (CBC) mandates the strictest seismic design requirements, regardless of location.
To streamline permitting, OSHPD’s preapproval of manufacturer’s certification (OPM) allows manufacturers to precertify anchorage designs. OPM simplifies installation by eliminating the need for custom engineering and ensures compliance with the highest seismic standards. Outside California, local engineers typically recommend anchorage solutions.
Bracing and Mounting Considerations
Installers and contractors must also address the way nonstructural components are anchored and braced in a seismic zone or in a Risk Category IV building. Bracing and anchorage must be strong enough to resist a seismic activity. When mounting on a concrete floor, it is extremely important to choose seismically-rated floor anchors that can support the load of the rack and equipment.
Guidelines for a Reliable ICT Infrastructure
Follow these best practices to ensure a strong ICT infrastructure in healthcare facilities:
- Equipment and TR sizes need to be larger to accommodate additional systems.
- Simplify the project by specifying and selecting the infrastructure from one or fewer vendors. This will allow the products and systems to be compatible and minimizes dealing with different lead times.
- Plan cable management and pathway spaces with at least 50 percent open space for future growth and changes.
- Select products with advanced features, such as tool-less installation during future upgrades, adjustability (ultimate flexibility) and integrated bonding studs (enabling quicker bonding connections).
- Adopt cable management and pathway that are both copper and optical fiber friendly, while allowing for maximum use of interior space. This means the cable manager can support higher density cabling without impacting airflow. Remember to look for a design that promotes intuitive MACs.
- Monitor power, environmental conditions and security in equipment and TRs to help prevent power outages and to protect data.
- In seismic zones, California OSHPD OPM provides excellent planning and installation guidance. Consider seismic-rated (shaker tested) racks to maximize load per footprint.
- Take advantage of a manufacturer’s online tools, such as cable fill tables that provide recommended and maximum cable fill values for the specific cable management and pathway products included in the project.
By addressing these considerations, healthcare facilities can ensure their ICT infrastructure is reliable, compliant, and future-ready.
Editor’s Note: The article above contains excerpts from an originally published piece from the Jan./Feb./March 2020 issue of ICT Today Magazine, a BICSI publication.
