AAMI ESM4 2015: Electrical Safety for Healthcare Facilities
Electrical safety is paramount in healthcare facilities because faulty electrical equipment can directly harm patients and staff through electric shock, burns, or even death. AAMI ESM4 2015: Electrical Safety Manual serves as a guide to help healthcare organizations comply with standards on electrical safety.
How Does Electrical Safety Apply to Healthcare Facilities?
Due to the sensitive nature of patient care, electrical safety in healthcare facilities is essential—especially when dealing with sensitive medical devices that are often directly connected to patients. Departments within a healthcare facility that may be responsible for electrical safety include the following:
- Clinical engineering
- Biomedical equipment technology
- Healthcare technology management (HTM)
- Healthcare facilities engineering
In each healthcare facility, AAMI ESM4 2015 specifies that one or more of these departments are responsible for application of this manual in accordance with facility policies and applicable electrical safety codes, standards, and regulations.
What Is AAMI ESM4 2015?
AAMI ESM4 2015 is directed toward those who are responsible for electrical safety in healthcare facilities. A healthcare facility may be a clinic, an outpatient surgery center, a nursing home, a hospital, or a complex healthcare system incorporating any combination of facilities that provide patient care.
AAMI ESM4 2015 notes that electrical safety procedures for medical devices and healthcare environments should be integrated into a comprehensive equipment inspection and maintenance program for the facility that can be carried out by the healthcare facility’s technical personnel. Recommended electrical safety test schedules and procedures are included in Chapter 2, “Equipment-Related Safety Requirements,” and Chapter 3, “Facility-Related Safety Requirements,” of this manual.
Healthcare facilities must have access to appropriate technical expertise to effectively apply this manual. When such expertise is not available on staff, the healthcare facility should work with an external service organization or consultant that has appropriate technical qualifications.
This manual is not intended to be the final authority; rather, it is a guide to the pertinent standards.
Electrical Safety Program in a Healthcare Facility
AAMI ESM4 2015 maintains that a comprehensive electrical safety program should include these components:
- Inspection and testing of medical equipment and electrical systems in all areas of the healthcare facility (patient and non-patient locations), with appropriately documented test results maintained on file.
- Electrical safety requirements routinely included as standard conditions on all purchase orders for new equipment and systems.
- Staff orientation and training regarding electrical safety, including general guidelines applicable to all electrically powered devices and detailed guidelines specific to equipment requiring additional knowledge for safe use.
- Investigation of incidents and identified hazards so that incident reporting requirements are met and “lessons learned” are used to improve performance and increase safety within the healthcare facility.
To implement an effective electrical safety program, a healthcare facility should meet regulatory requirements and accreditation standards. In Chapter 1, “The Electrical Safety Program,” AAMI ESM4 2015 lays out a step-by-step process to do so.
AAMI ESM4 2015: Electrical Safety Manual is available on the ANSI Webstore.
