EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Technical Assistance Class II TV's in patient areas

Why stop there?

Didn't you know that I was the Laundry Equipment Leader when I was at Onaiza ... and the Kitchen Equipment King at Al-Hasa (perhaps I should also mention the Janitorial Equipment Junkie at Jubail)!

I guess you must have missed my posts about "Rinse Water Recycling", then, Neil.

What is the standard safety test for a mop and bucket?

You may laugh ... but would you believe (yes, I guess you would) that at Onaiza we had to train the Janitors (freshly arrived from you-know-where and smartly (?) attired in their new overalls) how to use a broom. I kid you not!

But, with respect to your question. Remember that vacuum cleaners, floor polishers et al are often more lethal than any bit of medical equipment ever could be.

Floor polishers and solvents are an excellent combination.

Especially with (long) mains cables that get run over twenty times a day. And match-sticks holding the live and neutral wires into the power outlet. They "work OK without the earth", don't you know!

No Mate, vigilance doesn't (shouldn't) stop at the central monitors et al. Far from it, in fact.

Slightly off topic, I know ... but outside of the operating theatres, hydrotherapy is probably the most (potentially) deadly area. For obvious reasons (I hope).

Not sure which post to attach this to as it ties in with EBME/ IT convergeance.

Just had a dedicated PC brought in to be trialed with Anaesthetic machines for data logging and stuff. Guess what? It failed its EST. The enclosure leakage was just over 125uA. has anyone seen similar devices? it's an all-in-one display/ computer. It is marketed by a company called Safersleep, I think Papworth have used them.

Yes ... I've seen many such devices, Bill. In fact, as it happens, I'm looking at one right now! It's called a PC.

OK. So, what's the answer? Hint:- think isolation transformers, and having the kit mounted on a decent trolley or cart ("medical grade", if you like that terminology).

By the way, what is the set-up you're referring to? That is, where is this "device" expected to sit? How far away from the "patient zone"? What is it (electrically) connected to, and stuff like that?

I guess that this answers most of my questions! Notice that thing sitting in the guy's ear - now, that really is an ... er, device! But, where is the PC "box" (actually built-in to the display? ... must basically be laptop technology, then, I would have thought). After all, surely there must a hard-drive somewhere. And, most importantly of course, where is the power supply? A SMPS brick ... or again, built into the display?

I believe that this could be a case where a Risk Assessment may actually be useful. Which is the greater risk to the patient ... that posed by extraneous leakage currents, or administration of incorrect drugs etc. (the sort of think I imagine this system is aimed at eliminating)?


By the way, I would be interested to hear what the Rep is saying (nothing, most likely), plus what the company's literature says in this regard (ditto), and also what markings (if any) appear on the kit in question.

If the PC is for data storage as Geoff say's mount it on a trolley but I would add a UPS to the PC

Aren't there UPS outlets available in your theatres, then?

But yes, it would be nice to have a properly engineered system, so you may as well bung a UPS on there (the cart that is) whilst you're at it.

Meanwhile (in an attempt to get this thread back into sync, as it were) ... what about Hospedia (formerly known as ... dare I whisper it ... Patientline). That is, how "safe" are those things?