The healthcare industry uses various cables and electrical supplies to keep their vital equipment up and running. If not properly managed and cared for, the same supplies that allows healthcare facilities to fully function can cause fires, tripping, or shock hazards. To keep staff, patients, and all visitors safe, healthcare administrations should adopt several electrical safety tips for healthcare facilities that their whole staff can become familiar with. These tips will also help administrators adhere to their buildings’ electrical compliance codes.
Know Your Floor Layouts and Revise as Necessary
Proper cable management starts with knowing each floor plan. Facility management and IT personnel should know where outlets lie and how cables run, revising layouts when safety and efficiency don’t align. Determine locations throughout the facility that are best for electrical equipment or network supplies.
Pro Tip: Be mindful of how much electrical supplies is on each floor and in each room. For areas that harbor lots of equipment, utilize surge protectors to avoid power outages and prevent supplies from overheating.
Separate Network and Electrical Cables
Healthcare facilities have high demands for electricity and connectivity for their medical equipment. It’s crucial that electrical and network supplies do not get mixed up, as this could result in serious harm during equipment maintenance.
One of the best electrical safety tips for healthcare facilities that your facility’s team of IT professionals can follow is to allocate different paths for electrical and network cables. The placement of all electrical materials should be intentional and optimized for the safety of your facility’s patrons and employees.
Label Your Supplies
Simply separating your cables does not indicate their purpose well enough. You should label your facility’s wires and other electrical equipment. Various cable management accessories, such as zip ties, cable wraps, and clamps, can help organize your assortment of cords.
In addition to several cable organization items, your facility should incorporate electrical tape to inform staff of the electrical supplies around them. There are different types of electrical insulation tape that vary by color and purpose. Knowing the wiring needs of your facility is extremely helpful in determining which tape will perform and protect best.
Pro Tip: Most buildings have building codes that outline which electrical insulation tapes are adequate for use within that facility. Double-check that your cable management supplies is up to par with your healthcare location’s compliance codes.
