Electric shocks from damaged electrical leads on hospital equipment

Background

Frequent movement of electrically powered hospital equipment significantly increases the risk of electrical lead damage.

Mobile equipment that is moved regularly should be treated as more high risk than static equipment, with inspection, maintenance and design controls that reflect that increased risk.

WorkSafe is aware of multiple incidents where employees have received electric shocks when handling electrical leads and plugs connected to electrically powered mobile hospital equipment.

These incidents have occurred across healthcare, aged care and similar environments where equipment is frequently moved as part of normal operations.

WorkSafe has reviewed several incidents where the source of the electric shock was confirmed to be damage to the flexible power supply lead or plug.

Safety issues

Frequently moved electrical hospital equipment is higher risk than static equipment. This includes equipment that is regularly wheeled, pushed, plugged in and unplugged by employees, such as hospital beds and patient trolleys.

Investigations into recent incidents identified the following safety issues:

• Flexible electrical leads were abraded, pinched, pulled or partially detached from plugs.
• Damage commonly occurred when leads were caught in wheels, frames or moving parts during daily relocation.
• Damage often developed between scheduled preventative maintenance inspection and test and tag intervals.
• Damaged electrical leads were not identified, removed from service or reported during employee pre use inspections.
• Employees received electric shocks while plugging in, unplugging or repositioning equipment, rather than during static operation.
• Residual Current Devices (RCDs) were present in most instances but did not prevent initial contact with exposed live wires.

Recommended ways to control risks

To reduce the risk of electric shock from damaged leads on mobile hospital equipment, employers and duty holders should:

• Set inspection and testing schedules that match how often the equipment is moved and unplugged. Inspection and testing intervals should reflect the level of risk.
  • Equipment that is moved or unplugged often is more likely to be damaged and should be checked more frequently.
  • Equipment known to experience damage to electrical leads during use should be checked more frequently.
• Ensure inspections and testing are recorded and carried out by a person who is suitably competent in inspecting and testing electrical hospital equipment. This may include:
  • Facilities personnel
  • Maintenance personnel
  • Biomedical or electrical technicians
• Ensure mobile hospital equipment has effective electrical lead management that is simple for employees to use and keeps leads away from wheels, moving parts and mechanical pinch points when equipment is being relocated.
  • Integrated lead hooks, reels or brackets built into the equipment to allow electrical leads to be neatly wound and secured when not in use
  • Fixed lead anchoring points on the equipment frame to prevent leads from hanging freely or dragging on the floor
• Provide a clear system of work to isolate, tag out and report damaged equipment so it is not used, ensuring damaged equipment is:
  • Clearly labelled or tagged (for example, with a ‘Do Not Use’ sign)
  • Isolated, such as removed from the ward or work area
  • Not used until repaired by a suitable person or replaced
• Ensure employees understand and are trained on:
  • How to identify damaged hospital equipment.
  • How to tag out and isolate damaged equipment.
  • How and who to report damaged hospital equipment to.
  • That damaged hospital equipment must not be used.
  • That damaged equipment must be reported and acted on immediately.
  • The risk of handling faulty or damaged electrical equipment.

Legal duties

Employers have duties under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 that they must fulfil so far as is reasonably practicable. These duties include:

• Providing and maintaining a working environment that is safe and without risks to health of employees and independent contractors.
• Providing employees and independent contractors with the necessary information, instruction, training, or supervision to enable them to do their work in a way that is safe and without risks to health.
• Providing and maintaining plant that are safe and without risks to health.
• Ensuring that persons other than employees are not exposed to risks to their health or safety arising from the employer's conduct.
• Ensuring employees, independent contractors and relevant health and safety representatives are consulted when (amongst other things):
  • Identifying or assessing hazards or risks at the workplace.
  • Making decisions about risk control measures at the workplace.
  • Proposing changes to the workplace, plant or work processes that may affect health and safety.

The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 also include requirements for employers to ensure certain types of plant, including electronic hospital beds/patient trolleys, are inspected to the extent necessary to ensure that any risk associated with the use of the plant is monitored.

Further information

Where mobile electrically powered hospital equipment is exposed to frequent movement and mechanical stress, the following standards are relevant:

• AS/NZS 3551:2012 – Management programs for medical equipment
  Requires risk based inspection, maintenance and management of medical equipment across its service life.
• AS/NZS 3000:2018 – Electrical installations (Wiring Rules)
  Requires flexible cords and equipment to be suitable for the conditions of use and protected from mechanical damage.
• AS/NZS 3191:2008 – Electric flexible cords
  Specifies construction and durability requirements for flexible cords used on electrical