EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management colour coding, electrical.

All of the equipment involved is either vents or
anaeshetics workstations (theatre anaesthetic machines + vent + aagss + suction + vaporiser etc as a unit) all of the machines have hard wired mains leads or captured iec leads therefore there is no user involvement in the actual mains lead transferel.

Keep it simple. Red for DANGER, so anything that is going to cause immediate injury to the patient e.g. disconnection of a ventilator or equipment to which a ventilator is associated then by all means use a RED plug top, all others white.

It's a good job the EEC are constantly striving to safeguard it's citizens and periodically introduce such innovations as the "detatchable IEC mains lead" - then make it mandatory - even on critical medical equipment.

Result ; -

It removes confusion about different coloured mains plugs to identify critical items - because the leads can get swapped between pieces of equipment making the exercise futile.
It makes it possible for nurses to connect patients directly to the mains supply by plugging ECG electrode leads into the end of the IEC lead.
It allows people to pinch the 3 metre long mains leads required for the safe connection of pressure relief mattresses on the end of the beds and replace them with the standard 1.5 metre ones.
People can leave the lead plugged in and switched on with the IEC connector lying loose on the floor for anyone to spill theit tea over.

I heard that there is a move to get all medical equipment fitted with hard-wired mains leads.

It'll never catch on !

Wouldn't it be easier to colour code the nurses.

We would have all the stupid ones who are likely to disconnect equipment willy-nilly wearing red uniforms.

No, on second thoughts bad idea, we'd have too many people wearing red, it would hurt your eyes walking on to the ITU, bit like a scene from a Sam Peckinpah movie.

Ouch , Where Louis works we have colour-coded nurses I'm sure the ex-expats will get on that;) Roy, scoff not my hairy tech but Louis heard a rumour that Brussels are trying to impose the Euro Mains Socket on to you lot. I hope for your sake this is a hoax, have you ever endured this pathetic beast. Its simply crap

L3

We use Black RS prefabricared leads with moulded plugs.
They pass the electrical safety, you don't have to wonder whether the last guy wired it up right, and they don't waste valuable manhours on fitting and checking plugs.

The original thread was about colour coding of plug tops to identify critical equipment supplies amongst a bank of sockets. In particular, KM was asking if anyone had done this and if they had procedures in place to ensure everyone understood the system.

I wonder if KM thinks he's had a satisfactory response ?

Michael referred to special plugs for I.T. equipment (with T shaped earth pin) - so presumably they have designated sockets for supplying I.T. equipment ? How is that organised ? Is all I.T. stuff supplied from a UPS ? Why was it felt necessary to go to the expense of fitting dedicated sockets for this equipment ?


So many questions, so little time.

I agree Roy, its a terrible situation when our fellow biomeds show they have a sense of humour

Are these not good answers to KM's question .Though I suppose in all of your 513 posts you have never strayed off the subject, have you sir?

MF

Is anybody aware of any standards, recommendations, DOH or MHRA guidance that refers to the colour coding of plug-tops for medical applications? Further; has anybody assesed the actual risk of "unplugging" incidents? Does anybody have figures? Is it really an issue or do we just have odd anecdotes from here and there?

Under what circumstances would this type of incident be classified as reportable? Who decides to report this - the nurse or cleaner that removes the plug, inadvertently, perhaps? Do the staff even know there's a procedure? Who informs the staff that the colours actually mean anything? How does it become a standard between hospitals if we all have different ideas on the colours to be used?

Just that each hospital seems to do it's own thing - helped along by the good-intentions and goodwill of interested parties such as ourselves.

RL
We haven't had any unplugging incidents according to our risk department. I've not seen or heard anything.

I do not believe there are any guidelines on colour coding of cables plugs or sockets for standard medical electronic equipment, although specialist applications such as lasers do require the following of guidelines.