Medical Electrical Installations – using BS7671(2018), IET Guidance Note 7 and HTM 06-01 (2017).

Duration: 5 – 6 hours in a classroom environment which can also be conducted on-line using Teams and tends to be shorter with experienced electricians.  However, a second face-to-face site visit to a medical location is recommended if the on-line course is chosen to shadow a compliance check for example.

This one-day, plain English course demystifies the IET guidance on electrical installation practices for healthcare establishments where medical devices with applied parts are used. The medical electrical equipment installation courses are especially relevant to complex medical devices such as diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy rooms/suites, interventional suites and operating theatres. Medical Locations requirements also apply to all dental treatment establishments. 

The course includes detailed discussion on the latest version of BS7671, the IET Special Locations guidance and HTM 06-01. Simple tests have been formulated to ensure a medical location totally complies and we have produced a medical location earth simulator panel to show the unique earth systems. The installation course concludes with an assessment prior to the award of the course certificate.

Medical Locations Installation and Testing Course content

  • BS7671 and the HTM 06-01 structure, ethos for medical locations.
  • NHS policy and UK regulatory frameworks.
  • Simplified medical location group and class designation methodology.
  • Overlaps with IEC 60601
  • Patient/business risk
  • Patient environment and applied parts
  • Overview of Medical IT circuits
  • Equipotential bonding and preventing micro shock.
  • Electric shock and risks with devices
  • Testing of medical locations using specialist equipment (to double check what the installing electrician has already certified).
  • Typical Installation failures.
  • Network Supply earth configurations.
  • Mains resistance, Wiring protection & Leakage currents.

The course is for electrical contractors, estates engineers, project managers,  medical and x-ray engineers and especially focuses on the relevant points for medical radiological installations.

Cost

Fixed-price courses can be varied to suit clients and are not priced on attendee numbers unless there are just one or two attendees.   No VAT charged which keeps the price competitive.   Phone to discuss a course for one or two people.   07930 951195

The 2017 (April) version of the Department of Health Guidance note HTM 06-01 can be found on the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/estates/health-technical-memoranda/

Contact Ian on medical.locations@icloud.com    07930 951195

Please note – these are my own definitions that I teach

Recent experience teaching electricians and biomedical engineering students has highlighted that the IEC definitions need to be changed. My course teaching explains this all in more detail and why.

Medical Location:  Room or area where medical devices with applied parts* are used.

Patient (GN 7 ONLY) – 9.4.2  Living being (person or animal) undergoing a medical or surgical or dental procedure.  A person undergoing surgical treatment for cosmetic purposes may also be regarded as a patient.  To me, this means vets and high street cosmetic establishments where medical devices with applied parts are used become a medical location as well.

Group 0.  Pointless

Group 1. Medical Location where supply discontinuity to the Medical Device does not represent a threat to the safety of the patient and Medical Devices with applied parts are intended to be used.

Group 2. Medical Location where supply discontinuity to the Medical Device can cause danger to life or where medical devices with applied parts that are inserted into the vascular system are intended to be used.

Equipotential Bonding Busbar (EBB).  An equipotential bonding connection point that is the reference measurement point for the medical location and connects the equipotential bonding to one earth conductor that has a direct connection. It should be mounted in the room or area but if outside, it must be within easy reach for earth resistance measurement purposes.

Supply Discontinuity.  Loss of mains supply due to RCD or circuit breaker tripping.

Supply Failure.  The mains network supply into the hospital not present.

Patient Area. Where you fit the Medical IT, SEBCP, no USB sockets and TN-S if required eg x-ray mobile.

Supplementary Equipotential Bonding Connection Point (SEBCP).  A surface-mounted connection point for Potential Equalisation conductors*. An SEBCP has a radial conductor connected to the EBB.

  • As defined by IEC 60601.