Q: What's the standard to test small electrical appliances such as plastic coffee pots, etc. with no ground and the patients do not handle in a health care environment?
A: You may classify that as ‘consumer equipment’, and it would not have to be included in the plant equipment inventory. However, the expectation is the hospital does an initial equipment inspection that checks for continuity to ground… even if it is all plastic. The check should be recorded, and a sticker on the equipment is sufficient.
Brad Keyes, CHSP, is the owner of KEYES Life Safety Compliance, and his expertise is in the management of the Life Safety Program, including the Environment of Care and Emergency Management programs.