With the risk that earth (grounding) leakages of electrical currents in both new and older electrical devices could cause injury, or even the death of those working close to the the defective equipment, Finnish company, PPO-Elektroniikka, says its MEV Isolation Monitoring System enables healthcare facilities to ‘constantly, safely, and securely’ monitor their electrical systems.
It explained: “The monitoring of electrical equipment, including for earth leakage, is a very important, albeit invisible, part of maintaining electrical safety in environments such as operating
theatres, where defective such equipment can cause a very dangerous situation.
“If the preliminary conditions for a malfunction become evident in the electricity supply of a device in a critical environment, MEV-7 immediately alarms the user, thus preventing an accident at a very early stage, saving money, and potentially even human lives.”
PPO-Elektroniikka says that although regulations in EC Directives 89/336/EC and 1999/5/EC require MEV-7-type insulation monitoring systems in operating theatres in all EU countries, such systems have so far only been mandatory in Finland (since 1993).
