Electrical Safety

Electrical Safety in the
Operating Room

Perioperative Staff
Education 01/04
Winifred Wilt, RN, MSN,
CNOR

Education
 Required

by JCAHO
 Required during orientation
 Annual review required

Electrical Hazards
 Fires
 Burns
 Electrical

shock
 Explosions
 Power failure

Outcomes
 Damage

to or malfunction of equipment
 Possibility of patient and staff injury, disability, or death

Electrical Shock
 Shock

occurs when a person becomes the final component that closes a loop in which electrical current flows

Electrocution
 Electrocution

occurs when the amount or path of the current flowing through the individual becomes lethal
 Electrocution usually involves use of cord-connected equipment, contact with ground, and a moist or wet environment

Electrical Terminology
–electrical pressure
 Amperage –electrical flow rate
 Impedance –restriction to electrical flow
(pipe friction)
 Circuit –path of flow of electricity
 Fault –current flow through an unintended path
 Voltage

Basic Rules of Electrical Action
 Electricity

is not live until current flows
 Electrical current will not flow until there is a complete loop, or circuit

Grounding is grounding? –a method of protection from electrical shock
 A ground is a conductive connection – between electrical circuit or equipment and earth –or to a conductive body which serves in place of earth
 Grounding creates a low resistance path to earth
 What

Grounding
 All

sorts of things, including people, can be grounded, or not grounded
 Grounding may be intentional or accidental  Grounding some things are intentional so that when other things are accidentally grounded, the outcome can be controlled or predicted

Reasons for Grounding
 Protection

from high voltages brought into the facility (e.g. lightning) that could cause arcing and fires
 Inexpensive, reliable, passive, and effective method of