Electrical Safety and Why it is Important

There are two ways a patient could experience a shock; the first is a Macroshock, when current flows to a patient through contact with a medical device. i.e., ECG electrodes. Second is a Microshock, where the current would flow through the patient through an invasive device, i.e., a catheter.

Electrical safety tests ensure that patients and end users are safe from any excess leakage current under normal and fault conditions. It also ensures that your device is properly grounded so that in the event of a malfunction with the device, the electricity has a safe path away from the patient to the ground. That is why the first step we always take is to ensure that every medical device we work on meets the proper ground resistance criteria. This guarantees the electricity will follow the path of least resistance away from the patient.

Manufacturer and regional guidelines vary on how often you should have your equipment tested for electrical safety, but at a minimum, it should be performed every year, any time a device is opened and worked on, or when you first purchase/receive a new device.

Here is a list of equipment that we complete Electrical Safety Testing on