Electrical safety in patient care areas

Abstract

In December 1989 the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) published standard Z32.2 regarding electrical safety in patient care areas;' the standard describes the safety requirements for the management of medical electrical equipment, nonmedical electrical equipment and patient-owned electrical devices used in patient care areas. It also covers inspection, testing and maintenance standards. Although compliance is voluntary medical practitioners are strongly encouraged to follow the recommended practices.The standard is aimed primarily at hospitals. However, it also applies to other areas, such as private physicians' offices and medical clinics, where patients are brought into contact with electrical equipment for diagnosis and treatment.The highlights of the standard that are considered most relevant to medical practitioners are as follows.* An electrical safety program is necessary to protect patients and staff from potential electrical hazards. The program should include the education of the entire health care team, the proper design of the building's electrical system and the appropriate maintenance of all electrical equipment.* Patient procedures can be categorized according to the type of contact between the patient and the medical electrical equipment used: (a) cardiac contact (greatest hazard) -intentional contact directly with the heart, (b) body contact (moderate hazard) -intentional contact externally or internally but not directly with the heart and (c) casual contactvoluntary contact with an electrical device not intended to be connected to a patient.* Different areas of a practitioner's office or clinic must reflect the nature of the care provided and the degree of electrical contact (e.g., basic, intermediate and critical). For example, the electrical safety requirements of a surgical suite may differ significantly from those in an area used for diagnosis or recovery because of the procedures performed, the equipment used and the electrical installation necessary.