EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management Risk assessment of home based devices

HI, If it helps, my view is that the main additional risks will come from the patients' home mains wiring installation. All devices are built to protect the patient with a single fault condition. The medical location in a hospital, if fully compliant will ensure that the single fault condition is not affected such as inadequate earth systems etc.
I recommend that before a device is used in a patient's home is that the sockets are checked with a simple socket tester. these can be used by anybody who is capable of seeing that the three green lights indicate no fault. This is the most that can be done.
If it does indicate a fault, the only next step is that it is reported upwards and if necessary, an electrician inspects the home - and then the system will fall apart as the faulty wiring needs to be addressed - which as you can imagine will be tricky to decide who pays for it!
Older people are more likely to live in a house that has no incoming separate or TNC earth and may not be bonded etc. This goes on. Anther hurdle is that you can't modify a section of the home unless you can do something that is a justified upgrade so the device can be used....this is minefield territory....
To conclude, I would not have dialysis carried out on myself with a non-compliant wiring supply system.