EBME - Workshop Processes

PURPOSE: The purpose of this procedure is to define the methods used to book in, control repairs, inspect and document equipment under the control of the EBME Department.
 
SCOPE: This procedure applies to all equipment handled by the EBME Department
 

RESPONSIBILITIES
The EBME Manager has overall responsibility for the inspection, maintenance, repair and general handling of all equipment that is within the scope of the departments responsibility.   It is the responsibility of the Chief Technical Officer to carry out a daily check of jobs awaiting allocation and to assign the work to individual technicians as appropriate to their position, competence, and training.

QUALITY PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES

Booking in and in-inspections.
Departments may phone in details of faulty equipment to the central number, log the job onto the computerised maintenance management system (CMMS), or may bring them to the workshop.  All phone calls are all logged onto the database call logging system and a unique job number given to the caller. When technicians repair equipment, they will record all details on onto the CMMS database. Similarly when a piece of equipment is brought into the workshop equipment will be "in-inspected" by a competent person before being added to the CMMS and then placed in the Goods inwards area. Details will be entered onto the database and a label attached to the equipment with relevant job number and details. This service sheet will remain with the equipment until the job is complete. Details of all repairs are entered onto the CMMS database as the work progresses. The Chief Technical Officer checks the equipment status and allocates work appropriately.

EQUIPMENT BOOKING-IN PROCESS

In-Process Inspection & Testing
Equipment which is being repaired or serviced will be checked and tested regularly as a matter of routine and good workshop practice.  This will normally be carried out by and experienced EBME Technician, following the manufacturer's instructions. All pieces of test equipment in use by the Department are appropriate to the work of the Department and, where appropriate, carry a valid certificate of calibration.

Only validated spares will be purchased by the EBME Department for maintenance - (whether one-off items or stock items). The elements of 'Good Workshop Practice' relevant to an Engineering Department will be maintained at all times. This also includes ensuring that aspects of Health & Safety relevant to the Department are adhered to.

Individual workbenches are allocated to personnel and they are responsible for their own area.  Where equipment has been dismantled it should be segregated from other equipment.  Working on more than one piece of equipment at a time should be discouraged. To prevent damage when handling sensitive equipment while under repair protective clothing and gloves will be worn and anti-static precautions taken, where appropriate.
 
The status of equipment during repair will be clearly identified on the service sheet and subsequent entries onto the database or by its location within the Workshop.
 
Labelled shelves within the Workshop indicate items Awaiting Repair, Awaiting Spares, Goods Inwards, Goods Outwards and Quarantine.  The location of equipment on specific shelves, (as well as the service sheet and the database clearly identifies their current status.)
 
Equipment is generally reported faulty by the user/customer. No item is collected unless the fault has been reported and an entry made on the CMMS database.
 
Care is to be taken when handling all customers' equipment.  While within the Department all customers' equipment will be stored so as to prevent deterioration or damage.
 

DECONTAMINATION OF ITEMS FOR REPAIR
A list of equipment likely to require decontamination, and the process involved, is contained in the Trust Decontamination Policy.  Before this type of equipment is worked on, either within the Workshop or on site, a Decontamination Certificate must be issued by the user to certify that the equipment has been decontaminated.  If no Decontamination Certificate is provided by the user the Technician will not commence work on the item.
 
Caution is, nonetheless, to be taken when handling such equipment, including wearing of appropriate protective clothing.
 
If an item is found to be contaminated during the repair process it will be placed in a yellow clinical waste bag and returned to the user with a memo to that effect. Any workshop area, which has been affected by contamination, will be decontaminated following the relevant sections of the Trust Decontamination Policy.
 

CARRYING OUT REPAIRS
During repair, care will be taken to ensure that any relevant Safety Bulletins, Hazard Warnings etc. and other safety factors are implemented. Equipment for which a repair has been aborted for any reason will be segregated.  It will not be returned to the customer unless a Concession Form has been completed and signed by the customer.

Equipment will not be considered serviceable until the Workshop Repair service sheet has been completed, signed by the EBME Technician and details have been entered onto the database.
 

FINAL INSPECTION & TESTING
Equipment which has been repaired, maintained or acceptance tested will not be returned to the customer until all final checks have been made and the equipment has been 'signed off' by the EBME Technician allocated to the equipment (unless a concession has been granted and accepted by the customer and Concession Form completed and signed).
The final inspection will include, where relevant, all safety and electrical checks.  All repair details are entered onto the database
 

RECORDS
All records which have been prepared as the result of a repair, maintenance, acceptance testing etc. are to be retained as part of the Quality Records on the database. These details will clearly indicate if the equipment has passed final testing, the results of the tests and the condition and follow up action of any equipment which fails the test. The service sheet is not retained once the details have been entered onto the database, prior to the equipment being placed in Goods Outwards.
 

ACCEPTANCE TESTING
Checks will be carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and work instructions.  Acceptance test log sheet for Medical / Electrical equipment will be completed by the person checking the equipment. Appropriate action is taken on equipment which fails the Acceptance test in accordance with the procedure 'Control of Errors, Customer Complaints, and Corrective Actions'.

All new items are issued with an Asset ID number and a copy of the Acceptance Test Log, passed to the Trust Asset Register administrator so that the Asset Register can be updated to include the new items.