Evaluation of Electrical Safety Implementation in Healthcare Facilities.

Abstract

The Importance of this study is presented in discussing the availability of electrical safety requirements at the healthcare facilities according to the directions and recommended standards by organizations and associations in field of electrical safety such as NFPA, IEC, NEC, and AMMI, because the not available of electrical safety requirements and absence of awareness, and knowledge about the electrical safety lead to electrical hazards (burns, electrical shock, misdiagnosis, inadequate therapy) which effect on patient, medical equipment, and medical staff. The main purpose of study is evaluation of electrical safety implementation in medical departments (ICU, operating room, medical imaging, and hemodialysis) in Khartoum Hospitals, and investigates if the level of safety is different between departments according to the priority. The number of surveyed departments is 41 in 15 Hospitals (state, military, and non- state). The data was collected by many methods which include direct visits to Hospitals, visual inspection for electrical installations by using electrical safety checklist, as well as making interviews with engineers and technicians. SPSS program is used to analyze the results. The results indicated that the level of electrical safety in Khartoum Hospitals was middle in terms of power system and power distribution, grounding system, and application of electrical safety program. The level of electrical safety was low and may be absent in terms of using testing and protective devices, and the safety level was high in terms of electrical cords and extension cords. Also, the results revealed that the level of electrical safety doesn't differ between the medical departments in Khartoum Hospitals according to the priority.