While I am not familiar with the standards used in the UK, the Australian standards are, I believe, quite similar (AS 3551:2012). 3551 mandates that all devices must be tested at a minimum of 12 monthly unless a risk assessment shows that less frequently is acceptable. Do the UK standards mirror this approach?
If so, Kevin, have you done a full risk assessment on the devices you are now excluding from annual testing and if you have I would love to have a look at them?
I would agree that a lot of the testing that we do is a complete waste of time and resource and I wish we did not have to do it but this is what the standards require and until the standards change or we can produce a risk assessment that is robust enough to stand up in a court of law we are stuck with it. To ignore the standards without this is to expose both yourself and your employer to a legal risk that, if revealed, could expose you to disciplinary action, dismissal for gross negligence, or land you in court.
And by the way, I did not say that a thermometer was a "high risk" device, clearly it is not, but it is a diagnostic device and therefore falls under the standards.
Dave
