Ray It would be a brave person in this day and age that set up an examination room without ensuring that it was wired as a body protected area. If an electric bed/couch is included this is all the more reason to do so and these devices pose a high risk of shock with their established track record of damage to mains cables and the problems that flow on from that.
It would also be a fairly safe assumption that at some point in the future something more than a stethoscope would get used in the room. We have too many cases here in this hospital where the simple docs office has evolved into a minor procedures room that now has a whole host of medical electrical equipment. Adrian ________________________________ From: Byrnes, Owen [mailto:owen.byr...@ncahs.health.nsw.gov.au] Sent: Monday, 4 May 2009 08:48 To: Coles, John; Ray Bowles Cc: bmelist@bme.asn.au Subject: RE: [bmelist] Re' Body Protected area or not. Hello John and Ray, AS/NZS 3003:2003 has a definition (1.4.16) for a "Patient Area". Note (1) of this definition states "All PATIENT AREAS shall be BODY-PROTECTED or CARDIAC-PROTECTED ELECTRICAL AREAS (refer 2.1)." Note (2) of this definition states "For hospitals the PATIENT AREA would normally include areas where the PATIENT may be located for treatment, diagnosis or accommodation, including wards, PATIENT bathrooms and PATIENT holding areas. Transit areas such as corridors and lifts would not normally be included." My interpretation of these definition notes has been that any patient area with a power outlet, needs the leakage protection of at least a body protected area (excluding the nominated transit areas). Cheers, Owen. Owen Byrnes North Coast Area Health Service Mob: 0417484542 ________________________________ From: Coles, John [mailto:john.co...@petermac.org] Sent: Friday, 1 May 2009 10:24 AM To: Ray Bowles; bmelist@bme.asn.au Subject: RE: [bmelist] Re' Body Protected area or not. Ray et al, AS/NZS 3003 applies to patient areas in which "medical electrical equipment" will be used. Medical electrical equipment is defined in AS/NZS 3200 as "electrical equipment.....intended to diagnose, treat or monitor the patient.... and which makes physical or electrical contact with the patient and/or transfers energy to or from the patient......" I think that if the patient makes contact with the electric bed/couch it should be a body protected area. Regards John Coles Ph D Deputy Director, Physical Sciences Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute St Andrews Place East Melbourne Vic. 3002 Australia Phone +613 9656 1253 Fax +613 9650 4870 E-mail john.co...@petermac.org From: Ray Bowles [mailto:ray.bow...@gvhealth.org.au] Sent: Thursday, 30 April 2009 3:41 PM To: bmelist@bme.asn.au Subject: [bmelist] Re' Body Protected area or not. Hello all. We have a new area nearly completed which has Interview/consulting rooms. Each room will have an electric bed/couch. Should it be classified as a Body protected area or not? Comments? To some it may be obvious but to others open to interpretation. regards Ray Bowles. Biomedical Engineering Goulburn Valley Health Graham St Shepparton, 3630 P 03 5832 3130 M 0407 322 037 F 03 5832 2013 This communication is intended only to be read or used by the addressee. The information contained in this communication may be confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, interference with, distribution, disclosure or copying of this material is unauthorised and prohibited. The confidentiality attached to this communication is not waived or lost by reason of the mistaken delivery to you. 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