Why do you need to test medical equipment for electrical safety?

A patient is surrounded by many electrical devices like the heart rate simulator. These are used to monitor the bodily vital signs and keep track of the patient’s recovery process. In the US alone there have been 10,000 reported device related injuries with increasing use of medical equipment and devices. The hazardous sources include electromagnetic (EM) fields, drugs, germs, x-rays, water, and chemicals.

Considering the immense impact of these sources on the lives and well-being of patients as well as hospital staff, there are various codes or rules that have been established. This is needed because in many cases, the patient cannot convey the impact of the faulty equipment and this may have life-threatening consequences. A hospital or healthcare center needs to be in complete compliance with these codes in order to avoid hefty fines and penalties for non-compliance.  Adhering to standards like IEC 601.1 (International Electrochemical Committee), NFPA 99 (Standards for healthcare facilities) and ANSI/AAMI ESI-1993 (Safe current limits for Electromedical apparatus).

Why safety is needed?

There is a crucial objective behind ensuring the safety of electronic equipment used in a healthcare setting. These devices need to be free from any electrical or conduction dangers that are posed to people in constant presence around the devices. These include the hospital personnel, maintenance staff, as well as the patients themselves. They may be prone to electric shocks where electricity flows through the body upon coming in contact with the faulty or damaged electrical equipment. This may result in injuries like burns, cardiac issues or spasms.

How to ensure safety?

The basic safety doesn’t need a powerful solution like an electrical safety analyzer. Some alert checks on the below can ensure that the basics are covered. These include points like –

·        Checking plugs and cords and replacing them as needed

·        Proper connections of patient leads used on the body

·        Using only those devices that are approved after checking for electrical safety

·        Regular check-up of the electrical compatibility of the entire electrical system

·        Non-usage of radiofrequency appliances and devices when not needed (e.g. smartphones)

The three key types of testing

1 – Safety grounding and leakage testing

Electrical leakage in the ground wire is termed as Touch Current. It is this type of leakage that poses the greatest danger to healthcare staff as well as patients. One of the safety tests is to check for this type of leakage and if it conforms to the regulatory standards. Such tests are typically carried out once a year. It is mandatory for every hospital and healthcare center to carry out these tests and avoid harm to patient and personnel from effects of faulty grounding like shocks. There needs to be specialized testing for all equipment that have been hardwired into the building structure. An electrical safety analyzer is used for testing electrical leakage from portable equipment

2 – Ground fault outlet testing

If a room or area has a bathroom attached to it then its vital to check for issues with ground fault outlet. A GFCI tester monitors the ground current at all times, and cuts the connection if it goes beyond 6 mA.

3 – Testingfor Electrical Outlet Tension

This tests that the patient care areas have retention force that matches the compliance norms.

These were the key tests that are routinely checked for during a bio-med scrutiny for electrical safety.