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

No battery (or UPS) then?

Be Serious!!!

If I remember rightly ... there was a cranking handle, to be used in case of failure!

The first real ventilator I worked on was an East Radcliffe. The Mk II, if I remember rightly.

And I believe I may have already mentioned the little ceremony we had when we decommissioned the last of the army's Dräger Iron Lungs (in 1981, it must have been).

Oh yes, those were happier days!

I remember the Easts, we had some with anaesthtic heads on them, cylinders yokes etc to make one of the first anaesthetic type combined machines.
But worked of a stermy Archer gearbox and chain set up not that diffrent to a Raleigh Chopper Bike.
Interstingly we had a white one which a consultant took on decommission and has it as a coffee table in his lounge.

OK, Karl ... just for you (scroll down to the bottom of the page).

Arrr they were the days. Ive come over all sentimental.
The machines had proper brake pads.
A service meant using oil and grease and proper tools (spanners etc).
Patient circuits lasted years and were cleaned in Cydex.
And engineers new what a Zeus chart is and how to use it.
None of your read the DVM and if it is out of spc turn a screw until it is.
You had to know about proper engineering thingies. James May could do a programme on that. It would be realy interesting.

Who needs James May?

Been holding off getting into this one 'cos it was interesting to watch but I thought I might just chuck in another idea even though it does not really address the reasoning behind the current discussion (which I think has merit, colour coding to function).

Here is Oz, medical power cord plugs are.......... transparent !

Why? so you can quickly and easily check if the earth conductor has come adrift.

Now, what do you think of that idea?

I like it! But I like the "old fashioned" plugs tops even more. That is, where you can whip off the top to check that all is well. Regrettably, however, "moulded" plug tops seem to be becoming the norm these days.

Yes ... "colour coding to function" sounds good. But when are we going to come down firm and agree the colours of:-

1) The plug tops
2) The socket outlets

one other thing I forgot to mention (and again, slightly of the original subject) but Oz plugs are not fused. Mind you, RCDs are mandatory, even in the domestic situation.