A novel connection solution by C & J Supplies Chesterfield Limited, using Wieland Electric’s RST pluggable connectors has proved successful in preventing damage to dado trunking in wards at Chesterfield Royal Hospital.

As with many hospital wards, the electrics from each bed are connected to dado trunking carrying power and medical gases, using a 13A plug. A frequent problem experienced by the hospital was that porters or nurses who needed to move a bed quickly would forget to unplug electrical items first, and the dado trunking would be damaged. Apart from the disruption and repair costs, this also posed a danger of medical gases escaping so that wards would sometimes have to be closed during repairs.

C&J Supplies, a preferred supplier to the infirmary, was asked to find a solution to this problem and suggested inserting a pluggable connector between each bed and its 13A plug. In this way, as pressure is exerted when the bed is moved, the connectors are pulled apart without causing any damage.

Building on a long relationship with Wieland Electric, C&J selected Wieland’s RST 3-pole connectors, with the female connector on the plug side and a male connector attached to the cable on the bed. Following successful trials, some 600 beds have now been fitted with this simple yet ingenious solution.

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