ANSI/BICSI 004-2018, Information Communication Technology
Systems Design and Implementation Best Practices for Healthcare
Institutions and Facilities and ANSI/TIA-1179-A “Healthcare Facility
Telecommunications Infrastructure” standard provide design
guidelines on healthcare system topologies and the planning and
installation of structured cabling systems for healthcare facilities.
mechanical systems that can now adjust to optimize
cable support. Best practice dictates supporting cable
to prevent sharp bends, twists and stretching. When
making a vertical or horizontal transition, it is best to
use a smooth 90-degree bend radius that is four times
the diameter of copper conductors and a minimum of
1 inch for optical fiber conductors.
In traditional cable managers, bundles are stacked
and secured against the backplane of the manager, there-
by making it difficult to troubleshoot or change cables.
By comparison, a central track system allows cable bun-
dles to be properly spaced and fully supported precisely
where needed. This approach is well-suited for Type 4
PoE applications where higher wattages require properly
spaced and smaller cable bundles to avoid excessive heat
accumulation. The latest cable management solutions
also offer practical accessories with tool-less installation
and adjustment capabilities to perform multiple
tasks effectively.
January/February/March 2020 I 61
RELIABLE CONNECTIVITY BEGINS WITH
CABLE MANAGEMENT AND PATHWAY
If the TR is the central nervous system of the network,
then cables are the arteries that keep the system connected
and running. Cabling in healthcare facilities is
more complex because there are more subsystems to
support. The cross-connect is more involved than regular
office facilities. With more mission-critical data being
carried through fiber optic cable, appropriate cable
management is a must.
Because TRs must be planned with at least 50 percent
open space for future growth and updates, it is important
to look for infrastructure products that optimize the signal
quality and network speed of information exchange
with maximum flexibility and easy moves, adds and
changes (MACs).
Cable Management
Although the fundamentals of cable management have
not changed, the structural support components have
improved significantly so as to better support sensitive
optical fiber cable. This is where advanced cable management
solutions (Figure 5) can help streamline the management
of cables and cords to:
• Fulfill high-density cabling requirements while maintaining
proper bend radius and slack management for
maximum network performance.
• Organize cables so that they can be easily traced from
start to finish when performing MACs, saving valuable
time and money.
Cable management solutions are evolving from
simple troughs that hold cable bundles in place to
FIGURE 5: Newer cable
management solutions now
provide flexible cable support
and interior space optimization
needed in high-density
healthcare applications.