Electromedical test instrumentation specialist Rigel Medical has published a free guide to the electrical safety testing requirements of the IEC 62353 international test standard.

The introduction of the Regulatory Reform (Fire) Order (FSO) is claimed to be the most significant change to fire safety in the past 30 years. The new FSO covers all public buildings as well as the common areas of multiple occupancy housing.

Bill Millar, project director, United Lincolnshire Hospitals, and chairman of IHEEM’s Authorising Engineer (AE) Medical Gas Pipeline Systems (MGPS) panel, describes the latest developments in the setting up of the Authorising Engineer MGPS Register.

Verifying the inservice accuracy of electrical medical safety analysers is said to be quick and easy with the IEC 60601 Checkbox now available from Rigel Medical.

Having started operations in March 2002 with just three mobile theatres and 12 staff, Vanguard Healthcare claims today not only to be the UK’s largest supplier of mobile operating theatres, outpatient units and day surgery units, but also the only such operator of its kind. Jonathan Baillie reports.

The National Association of Healthcare Fire Officers sets outs its aims and objectives.

The National Association of Healthcare Fire Officers (NAHFO) is a group of fire safety professionals who share ideas and experiences and offer advice to all manner of healthcare organisations and other professional bodies on fire safety matters that are very specific to healthcare premises and organisations.

BPR Medical has been working with Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth to introduce safety nozzles on oxygen cylinders.

Wychavon District Council has appointed Millbridge to provide project management services for a 38,750 ft2 new build health centre with primary care facilities and a 26 bed cottage hospital at Pershore in Worcestershire.

An alert document relating to mobile heated food trolleys has been issued by the DH Estates and Facilities Directorate. The trolleys are from various manufacturers/suppliers, and the problem concerns damage which may occur to the electrical power plug with consequential electric shock injury. There is risk of death by electrocution, it is stated.

The challenges of introducing sustainable development principles to procurement within the UK healthcare sector are examined by Harry Waugh of Scottish Healthcare Supplies. The text of this article is an abridged version of a paper presented at the 18th Congress of the International Federation of Hospital Engineering held in Orlando, Florida, USA in July.

Alan Hambidge of controls-assurance.co.uk considers that, widely, approaches to the prevention of legionellosis need to be significantly changed.

11. 3. Lam, of the Department of Building Services Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, puts forward further considerations for a maintenance management philosophy designed for the avoidance of failure and the improvement of availability of engineering services. In the September 2006 edition of Health Estate Journal, he examined the assessing and managing of risk, and now he focuses on prediction theory.

Daikin Airconditioning has won one of Britain’s first Green Hero awards for environmental best practice.

Eschmann is launching a new certified training programme in the operation of instrument decontamination equipment.

11. 3. Lam, of the Department of Building Services Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, puts forward – in a two-part article – a maintenance management philosophy designed for the avoidance of failure and the improvement of availability of engineering services. In part one, he examines the assessing and managing of risk, and in part two – to be published in the October edition of Health Estate Journal – he focuses on prediction theory.

TripTrack is being marketed as a new way to prevent people tripping in lifts.

Dr K.C. Lam, of the Department of Building Services Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, emphasises the importance of extremely thorough briefings early in the design process.

Howorth Medical has recently been involved in building a mobile emergency surgical unit comprising a twin barn theatre, laboratories, recovery rooms and a TSSU, which can be transported to each destination in “flat pack” form, for assembly on site.

Facilities managers need strong, reliable partners more than ever, yet businesses that are prepared to truly embrace and support the specific needs of FMs are few and far between. Brian Smithers of WF Electrical argues that this situation has to change.

January this year saw the launch of the inaugural IHEEM international travel bursary award. (HEJ – January 2011) This award is one of the ways in which the Institute is seeking to develop opportunities for members to develop their careers, and is open to all Graduate and young members.