Case Study: Importance of Annual Testing & Service for Isolated Power Panels Within Healthcare Facilities

Over the last century, Bender's isolated power systems (IPS) have become the go-to method of electrical protection in medical facilities. These areas within the facility are often more vulnerable to shock and therefore, require extra protection, not only for added safety to patients and staff, but also to remain compliant with national and local safety codes. At the heart of these systems is a line isolation monitor (LIM), a predictive device that monitors the IPS and alerts staff audibly and visually in a first-ground fault condition. This allows clinical staff to quickly correct the issue in case a quick solution is possible and continue the procedure without interruption, all while maintaining a high degree of safety. With such a critical role played in the function of the isolated power system, LIMs must be regularly maintained and tested so that defects and failures are caught early.

Bender's Service Offerings

Bender's wide range of service offerings include:

• Annual testing of all isolated power systems by a Bender-authorized technician that includes:
  • Ensuring the continued functionality of the system’s LIM and any remote indicators that are also connected
  • Confirmation that the audible and visual alarms on the units are fully functioning
  • Simulation of a first-fault condition on the system to measure the functionality and accuracy of the LIM’s measuring software
  • Training of staff to understand what this all means and know what to do when the system alarms
    
    
• The technician will also fully assess the system, noting apparent deficiencies such as:
  • Failure to read or alarm
  • Indication of a unit approaching failure
  • Units reading progressively more inaccurately or wandering in their readings

In facilities where ongoing annual maintenance has not been prioritized, a preventative maintenance inspection can also identify equipment that, while still functioning, no longer complies with current code requirements.

Much of the safety in an IPS comes from the ability to acknowledge and correct a first fault condition, without losing power, before a second fault occurs. However, on a system with excessive nuisance alarms, clinical staff can get used to the LIM alarming for minimal leakage current, tune it out, and not take action to correct or investigate the root cause. The danger, then, is that if a fault condition does occur when the total hazard current well exceeds the 5 mA maximum, the staff won’t notice it as anything out of the ordinary, leaving them vulnerable to the second fault.

Automatic Fault Location Solution

In a well-maintained system, the LIM only alarms when there is a ground fault, allowing the clinical staff to acknowledge the fault, complete their procedure, and report it to their engineering staff to rectify that first fault condition. A properly functioning, non-nuisance alarming LIM and the added security of a fault location system, like the Bender EDS441 fault location system, ensures that ground faults are quickly and efficiently addressed by identifying the specific circuit with the ground fault. This technology promotes minimal downtime for the operating room and maximum safety for patients and staff.

🎥 WATCH: Fault Location Technology in Action