Hospital-Grade Label

Hospital-Grade Label Standards

In North America, all cords used to power medical equipment must carry a “Hospital-Grade” label. This stems from UL standards requiring that patient care equipment, being used in a patient vicinity, must have hospital-grade attachment plugs.

Industry Standards for Canadian & North American Hospital-Grade Cords

Power cords and strips used in medical settings must meet several industry-specific requirements. The “green dot” designation relates specifically to the cord plug, which is designed with a larger body to withstand pull forces and reduce the risk of shock. There are also label standards, which we will address later in this post.HG LABEL 1

All hospital-grade cords are subject to special requirements in the following standards:

  • Medical Equipment Standards
  • Power Supply Cord Standards
  • Attachment Plug and Receptacle Standards

The special requirement for these standards is that power cords must be UL and CAN/CSA approved. There are three official UL markings for North American and Canadian hospital-grade label standards.

Testing Requirements and Label Standards for Hospital-Grade Cords

HG LABEL 2Hospital-grade cords only receive the official UL green dot stamp after going through extensive testing to ensure that the product operates at peak levels. UL hospital-grade cords must also meet specific design requirements to receive green dot approval. An example of a hospital-grade power cord with green dot approval is shown in Figure 2.

 

 

 

HG LABEL 4

 

There are also hospital-grade label standards to demonstrate that power cords and power strips meet UL requirements. Here in Figure 3, you can see where it says, *GROUNDING RELIABILITY CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED WHEN THIS EQUIPMENT IS CONNECTED TO A RECEPTACLE MARKED ‘HOPITAL GRADE’* explaining that the power cord is acceptable to use.

Keep in mind, the ground connection must be consistently maintained to protect the patient and medical staff.

Read more about medical grade cords and how they help you improve safety and comply with medical industry standards. And don’t forget to check out our extensive inventory of hospital grade power cords and hospital-grade power strips online.