Health Care Equipment

How can specialist healthcare equipment be used safely?

If you care for someone who needs specialist healthcare equipment, or use this type of equipment yourself, make sure that you always follow the manufacturer's safety advice. Let's take a look at different kinds of equipment in a little more detail...

Home oxygen therapy

Used by people with severe respiratory conditions, oxygen therapy provides air that contains more oxygen than normal. Specialist equipment (which can include cylinders and portable units) is used to pipe medical oxygen through either a nasal cannula or face mask to the patient.

Unfortunately though, the addition of concentrated oxygen into the room or surrounding environment will greatly increase the intensity of a fire should one start.

Smoking or the use of any naked flames (such as candles, fires and cooking) anywhere near oxygen is extremely dangerous and increases the risk of significant injury in the event of a fire.

Fire safety advice

• Never smoke or let anyone else smoke nearby whilst using oxygen equipment. This includes e-cigarettes and their chargers.
• Do not use matches or any naked flames (such as candles, incense sticks or oil burners, gas stoves, portable or open fires) where oxygen equipment is used.
• Make sure oxygen is turned off when not in use.

Dynamic airflow pressure relieving mattresses and overlays

These items are commonly used in hospitals, hospices and residential care homes but are also provided for home use. They are used for the prevention and treatment of pressure sores and ulcers that can be caused by extended periods of immobility. The mattress is filled with air by a pump which adjusts pressure according to the patient’s needs.

Air mattresses do not turn off in the event of a fire. If the matress is punctured by a heat source (e.g. a cigarette or match) the escaping air can cause a fire to spread rapidly. The emergency back up battery may also continue to pump air, which can cause the fire to burn longer and with greater intensity.

Fire safety advice

• Never smoke near an airflow mattress, or let the person you care for smoke in bed.

• Keep ignition sources (such as matches, cigarettes, candles, incense sticks or oil burners) away from airflow mattresses.

• Never use an electric blanket on an airflow mattress.

• Ensure that electrical equipment is well maintained and kept a safe distance from airflow mattresses.

• Keep fires and heaters away from airflow mattresses.

• Never charge electrical items or place anything hot (such as hair straighteners or hairdryers) on an airflow mattress. 

Incontinence products

These are often supplied in large quantities to people who have continence problems. They contain plastics and other chemicals, in addition to paper or textile padding which provide additional fuel to a developing fire.

Fire safety advice

• Never smoke or allow others to smoke close to stored incontinence products
• Always store incontinence products safely away from anything that has a flame or is likely to get hot, for example heaters, candles, fires, chargers and other electrical appliances
• Try not to store the supplies all in one place – ideally not next to the person’s bed or chair