The Benefits of Electric Bonding in Medical Carts

All electrical medical equipment poses a risk for electric shock. In healthcare, the risk may be greater since patients and providers are in close proximity to this equipment. Taking steps to prevent electric shock and protecting medical computer carts is of the utmost importance for hospitals.

Protecting patients and investments is the top priority for hospitals, and can be achieved with electrical bonding. In this article, we explore the benefits of electric bonding in medical computer carts. Read on to discover how utilizing bonding equipment from Altus can provide immeasurable benefits to your patients, staff, and hospital systems.

What is Bonding?

The National Electric Code defines bonded components as those connected to establish electrical continuity and conductivity. Bonding metal elements ensures each component’s continuous presence on an effective ground-fault current path. An EGFCP (effective ground-fault current path) is an electrically conductive path designed to carry a current under ground-fault conditions from the point of a ground-fault to the source of electricity. A quality EGFCP can help remove dangerous voltage from accidental faults by allowing overcurrent protective devices to sense the fault and open the circuit.

In healthcare, electric bonding is crucial for safety, compliance, and equipment longevity. Electric bonding in medical carts allows any metal component –– from cart bases and handles to stretchers to weldments and more –– to be protected from electrical shock.

Altus’s electric bonding products are designed specifically for hospital computer workstations. Our durable bonding leads connect simply and securely to the exposed metal on your carts, protecting equipment and people from electric shock.

Benefits of Bonding in Medical Carts

Bonding is crucial any time you are working with electricity. But as a healthcare professional, you know that your decisions at work affect more than yourself. Utilizing electric bonding for healthcare carts promotes the well-being of yourself, your team, and your patients.

Below we explore the top benefits of bonding in medical carts.

1. Safety

In a hospital or healthcare setting, safety is the top priority. According to the WHO, in high-income countries, nearly one in ten patients is harmed while receiving hospital care, with nearly half of those cases being preventable. These stats are bleak, but they can be improved. Hospitals should do everything in their power to promote safety for their patients –– as well as their providers and staff. By implementing electric bonding, you can lower the incidence of preventable electric shock in your hospital.

The top benefit of electric bonding in medical carts is increased safety for everyone involved. Altus’s electric bonding technology immensely reduces the risk of electric shock through metal carts and equipment and allows clinicians to turn their full attention to their current patients.

Because patients frequently have a weaker constitution and slower reaction time than providers or staff, it’s important that hospitals take proactive steps to address preventable electric shock hazards. Additionally, providers and staff should be given every advantage when caring for patients. There should never be a concern for an electric shock when the technology exists that can make those concerns obsolete.

Electric bonding solutions from Altus ensure both patient and provider safety by protecting them from electric shock through your healthcare carts.

2. Equipment Functionality

In addition to safety, equipment functionality is crucial to a successful, optimal healthcare facility. Nearly all of a hospital’s equipment is electric or metal, which means there’s always a risk of electric shock. It also means irregular voltage amounts can be flowing into the cart and other technology potentially ruining the equipment. But implementing electric bonding for your medical cart inventory reduces that risk, and keeps the electric current flowing regularly, promoting both safety and equipment functionality.

In a healthcare facility, there is no time for equipment malfunction. This is especially true for preventable problems, like electric bonding issues. Sensitive equipment can be negatively impacted by electric currents when not bonded correctly. Improper bonding can create problems for hospital efficiency. And in some cases, bonding issues can halt equipment use altogether. When patient care is paramount and streamlined operations are crucial to your hospital’s day-to-day functionality, ensuring proper electric bonding is key.

3. Hospital Liability

Hospital administrators, providers, and support staff know the importance of compliance. You have many regulations that keep patients and staff safe and that keep you legally compliant.

Following set regulations includes abiding by the National Fire Protection Association’s codes for healthcare facilities. Within these codes, are specifications for electric use within hospitals. Utilizing electric bonding technology helps you stay up to code and keep your hospital legally compliant. Maintaining compliance ensures you follow set safety standards that reduce your liability risks.

4. Resource Preservation

Hospitals and healthcare facilities work on tight budgets; every dollar counts, and every piece of equipment is valuable.

Proper electric bonding keeps your medical carts working as they should. Sensitive equipment and low-voltage signals are especially susceptible to damage from electric shock. When you ensure proper bonding of your medical carts, you take the necessary steps to prevent damage and keep your equipment working as it should.

Altus’s electric bonding solutions help you save money on equipment, allowing you to allocate resources where they’re needed most.

NEC Bonding Requirements

The National Electric Code is the benchmark for safe electrical design, installation, and inspection. It’s considered the gold standard for bonding regulations and requirements. Within the NEC, Article 250 provides the framework for proper grounding and bonding, giving detailed instructions for proper sizing to ensure your bonding is done correctly.

Following NEC standards protect both people and property from electrical hazards and damages. When utilizing electric bonding in medical carts, you must source products that follow NEC bonding requirements. For safety and compliance, healthcare facilities must utilize bonding cables and products designed according to these NEC standards.

Altus delivers the electric bonding equipment you need and want to provide effective electric bonding for your medical carts. Working in alignment with the NEC requirements, we create bonding technology that keeps hospitals compliant while prioritizing the safety of equipment and facilities.

Conclusion

Altus knows the importance of electric shock precautions within a healthcare setting. We prioritize healthcare workers and those you serve with our range of tools and solutions. Through our electric bonding technology, we provide another avenue for you to execute patient care more safely, efficiently, and confidently.

Contact our team to learn how our electrical bonding equipment can benefit and improve your facilities and hospital systems.