We often think of ESD flooring as necessary for labs and manufacturing facilities that handle delicate equipment. However, several other types of facilities can benefit from its characteristics. Healthcare facilities are high on that list. If that’s something of a surprise to you, consider this fact: the shock generated by walking on a carpeted floor can be up to 5,000 volts. That’s a lot of electricity! Healthcare facilities, from hospitals to family practices, have equipment and electronics that can be damaged by static electricity.
Here are the top three reasons healthcare facilities need ESD flooring to provide optimal patient care.
Diagnostic Equipment
Modern medicine relies heavily on electronic equipment for patient diagnosis. Equipment like X-ray and MRI machines provide valuable images and diagnostic data to help healthcare professionals provide the best care for their patients. Static electricity can disrupt or damage this equipment, leading to inaccurate results. Skewed results can lead to delayed care or even wrong care that harms rather than helps.
Patient Care
Outside of the operation of equipment, electric shock can cause added discomfort to patients who are already in pain or experiencing anxiety. Remember the 5,000-volt shock from a carpet? Imagine if that arc of electricity was not between a hand and a doorknob but between an injection needle and a patient’s arm. Although that may not cause serious or lasting harm, it will cause discomfort to the patient, and the experience could deter them from seeking medical care in the future.
Electronic Records
Today, most doctor’s offices and hospitals only use electronic records or are in the process of switching over to a digital filing system. While this is a time and cost-saving measure, it’s not without risks. Computers can crash and files can become corrupted, resulting in problems for patient care. For example, if a jolt of static electricity prevents a computer from saving a file correctly, a patient’s record could be missing vital information. For example, if the information in question was an allergy to a common medication, the patient may be mistakenly treated with a medication they can’t have.
Better Healthcare with ESD Flooring | StaticStop by SelecTech
At SelecTech, we are always expanding and exploring new uses for our ESD flooring products. ESD products have exciting applications in many industries, including healthcare. StaticStop products from SelecTech can help healthcare providers and medical professionals ensure better patient care.
