Medical Equipment

Policy

We maintain appropriate medical equipment needed for the services we offer.

Electrical equipment is tested annually and regularly maintained to ensure a safe environment for our team, patients, and whānau. We maintain and operate medical electrical equipment in accordance with:

• Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
• AS/NZS 3003 Electrical installations - Patient areas
• Electrical (Safety) Regulations 2010

Electrical work and testing are carried out by registered electricians who are familiar with New Zealand electrical standards and understand the requirements for medical-grade RCDs.

Emergency equipment and medicines are stored together in a secure location to be quickly accessible to team members when needed.

Servicing and compliance

We keep:

• maintenance schedules showing servicing, calibration, and validation of key pieces of equipment
• certified and dated records of annual medical equipment servicing, calibration, and validation
• records of RCD testing
• records of certification and annual re-certification of any Body Protected Areas (BPAs) according to AS/NZS 3003.

  Any area where patients are diagnosed, treated, or monitored using an electrical medical appliance, may be designated as a BPA.

  A BPA is set up for the safe use of electrical equipment on patients. Features include:

  • All socket outlets are protected by 10 mA Type 1 medical-grade residual current devices (RCDs).
  • A green Body Protected Area sign on the wall at a height of 2 m from the floor to the top of the sign, displaying current certification and maintenance stickers.

  BPAs are inspected and recertified annually by someone appropriately qualified, and who understands the requirements of AS/NZS3003.

Electrical equipment

Medical electrical equipment is checked and maintained according to AS/NZS 3003. Medical devices are protected by medical-grade 10 mA Type 1 RCDs, or have built-in protection.

The practice manager ensures all electrical devices are checked and serviced as required:

• General electrical equipment and all medical-grade 10 mA RCDs are checked and serviced annually (or more frequently if needed) by a registered electrician.
• Medical electrical equipment is serviced, calibrated, and validated annually by a qualified electrician using approved test equipment.
• Switchboard RCDs are tested every six months by practice nurses.
• RCDs are tested regularly (at least every six months) by practice nurses to ensure they 'trip' when needed.

Any in-house testing is documented, dated and signed, and includes details of:

• who did the testing
• which equipment was tested
• the outcome (e.g. safe or unsafe)
• how the outcome was determined (e.g. which test method was used and how it was performed).

Emergency equipment

Q10

Emergency equipment is available and ready for use when needed:

• Emergency equipment is kept on the emergency trolley in the treatment room.
• Designated clinical staff are trained to use emergency equipment, even if these items are stored off site.

The nurses regularly check working order, stock levels, and expiry dates for all emergency equipment:

• Key emergency equipment: (defibrillator, oxygen, suction, IV equipment, and resus equipment) checked daily.
• Other emergency equipment and supplies: checked weekly.

Records of checks are signed and kept with the equipment.

See also Medicine Stock