June 2011 Issue: 1

1. June 2011 Issue: 1 Fact sheet New IEC 60601-2-52 bed standard What is IEC? IEC stands for International Electrotechnical Committee. It is an international group of recognised experts who set safety standards for medical electrical equipment. History of IEC 1996 – IEC 60601-2-38 First edition bed standard published for electrically operated hospital beds 2000 - EN 1970 The standard was published which focused on adjustable beds for disabled persons. Over the last decade, a number of incidents have occurred with patients becoming entrapped in the side rails of medical beds 2010 – IEC 60601-2-52 The new bed standard was approved by IEC and ISO members covering homecare, nursing home and hospital beds with specific requirements. This was put in place to ensure patient safety and essential performance of all medical beds When is the new standard going to be enforced? IEC and ISO members approved the new standards 1st April 2010. There is a 3 year transition period for manufacturers to comply with the new standard which comes into force on 1st April 2013 CUSTOMER SERVICES UK T: 01656 776222 F: 01656 776220 E: ordersuk@invacare.com www.invacare.co.uk CUSTOMER SERVICES IRELAND T: 353 1 8107084 F: 353 1 8107085 E: ireland@invacare.com www.invacare.ie

2. June 2011 Issue: 1 Fact sheet New IEC 60601-2-52 bed standard • What are the key elements of the new IEC 60601-2-52 bed standard? • 1. Changes in the gaps and clearances of side rails • which have been calculated looking at percentile • adult male and female head, neck and chest • dimensions • The side-rails must with-hold a high force of 250N • between the bars along with the lower bar and the bed frame • (previously 30N) • Bed user manuals must specify the mattress size to reduce • the risk of a patient becoming entrapped between the • mattress and side rail • 4. Locking mechanism on the side rails to be more robust • and with stand a 30,000 cycle test (up and down) • 5. Both the safe working load (SWL) and maximum • patient weight must be visible on the bed What can you do today? The new Etude Plus community bed meets the new IEC 60601-2-52 bed standard. By purchasing a bed that conforms, you can ensure your bed stocks provide essential safety for your service users. CUSTOMER SERVICES UK T: 01656 776222 F: 01656 776220 E: ordersuk@invacare.com www.invacare.co.uk CUSTOMER SERVICES IRELAND T: 353 1 8107084 F: 353 1 8107085 E: ireland@invacare.com www.invacare.ie