ELECTRICAL SAFETY
Reducing infection utilising correct cable management
Now, more than ever, we have seen the healthcare industry placed under huge pressure due to the global pandemic, COVID-19. With the advancement in healthcare technology comes further use of electrical devices, and greater hazard risks caused by the cables that power them. Richard Rands, UK Product manager for Fastenings & Fixings at HellermannTyton, explains the importance of correct cable management in healthcare environments, and how a range of easy-to-use products will help achieve more efficient care, and reduce the chance of transferring bacteria.
The pressures imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last year and a quarter have seen the NHS across the UK pushed to its limits due to the number of infected patients needing medical care, which stands at significantly more than 300,000 at the time of writing. The sheer volume of patient traffic raises a number of issues, with few more pertinent than that of the transmission and prevention of infection. Controlling the spread of infection added to this stress for healthcare estate managers, and the scale of COVID-19 has reinforced the need for effective measures.
As it stands, cable management can be an aspect often overlooked around hospital beds, and is often an afterthought. However, safely securing cables should be central to any discussion around best practice in bedside hygiene, on the grounds that this can significantly reduce the spread of infection. The electrical cables used to power medical devices, as well as the tubes and pipes that are commonplace in medical equipment such as ventilators, are a potential breeding ground for viruses and bacteria which, if standards of cleanliness are not adhered to, can increase the likelihood of infection.
Flexibility
It’s vital that any cable management solutions used are flexible and easy to secure and dismantle, in order to allow fast-moving actions to occur when an emergency takes place.
Hygiene, safety, and identification of equipment and infrastructure, are all critical in the healthcare sector. Consequently, cable management products that support these requirements are essential accessories. For example, magnetic fasteners allow cables to be held securely when needed, but can be disconnected with minimal effort. Releasable cable ties are not only ideal for temporarily securing cables and tubes
The magnetic Cable Koala tie is manufactured using a soft, flexible material that ‘delivers a smooth surface, and is free from any indentations’.
and keeping items off the floor for hygiene purposes, but can also offer easy application where a bag or packet needs to be closed and re-opened. As more patients bring devices of their own into the equation, this places additional burden on medical staff, who may be required to pick up cables which have fallen onto the floor on behalf of patients who are bed-bound, or have limited
mobility. While this may seem insignificant, it amounts to an additional task which takes personnel away from the critical task of caring for patients.
Quickly releasable
When one patient vacates a bed, a routine discharge clean is undertaken to prepare the bed for the next occupant. For this to take place, equipment needs to be detached and removed prior to cleaning; thus the ideal system needs to be quickly releasable, saving time and boosting productivity. Furthermore, such a system would be reusable, providing, of course, that the correct cleaning procedures were strictly adhered to.
Matter of material The EasyDoor multi-function handle.
The type of material used within cable management devices is also often overlooked. The use of specialist materials that are designed to perform up to very high temperatures, but which also offer excellent chemical resistance, is vital in
July 2021 Health Estate Journal 41
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