Versatile electrical appliance testing technology is helping one of the largest hospital trusts in the country to maintain the highest standards of safety.
The Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust runs both Cheltenham General and Gloucestershire Royal Hospitals, providing high quality healthcare for a population of more than 600,000 people.
Dedicated portable appliance test engineers based at both hospitals as part of the trust’s medical engineering department are using the latest Seaward test equipment to ensure that electrical equipment does not pose a danger to users.
Some 15,000 appliances are tested each year in Cheltenham General Hospital and 18,000 in Gloucester Royal Hospital.
At the centre of the hospitals’ preventative maintenance approach is the Seaward Apollo 600 tester, supported by the specialist PATGuard 3 results management software.
This multi-purpose PAT tester combines electrical inspection and testing with sophisticated safety data collection features. The battery powered and lightweight tester includes all of the electrical safety tests required by the IET Code of Practice to enable duty holders to meet their electrical safety responsibilities.
As well as recording asset details and test results in the tester’s internal memory, data produced by the electrical safety testing procedures is downloaded into a central PATGuard software management system, enabling safety records to be maintained and advance tests to be scheduled.
