I need some help!!! I suspect that a tech in my clinic is deliberty breaking the machines. It is all easy fixes like needle holes in the acid and bicarb lines,cuts in some of the tubing,etc. Has anyone ever had this problem? What can I do to "catch" them? I don't want anyone to lose their job I just want it to stop. It takes me longer to tear the machine apart than it does to fix the problem. Me and my clinic manager are open to suggestions. We cannot put a camera system in our home office will not approve it. Thanks for any suggestions! Matt

Try putting Micropore tape (paper tape) over the tops of one or two of the screw heads. This will tell you if someone has opened up the machine.

Sorry, I don't have a solution, but wondered how many techs are there? In the units I've been in there were only 2 repair techs.

I am the only bio-med tech here but we have one PCT that wants my job BAD this is who we suspect.

You'll have to track their days off, keep a secret record of when problems pop-up, and compare the two.

If you find that there are an ovewhelming # of problems when they are there, and they disappear when they are not working, you'll have your evidence.

As far as I am concerned, that is the lowest thing to do I can possibly think of, is to intentionally break medical equipment. Get that person off your payroll fast!!

I have to vet a bit!!! Today I have 3 machines down.one with a needle hole in the acid line one that is in service mode for whatever reason (i didn't do it)and one with the power cord cut where it connects to the heater element plus the orange wire cut on the 24v cable.

That said we have 18 stations and 21 machines 3 back-ups. Someone suggested to me this.

As you know there are 5 screws that hold the back panels on.I was told to color all five screws each a different color and arrange them one way on 7 machines and another on 7 and another on 7. For me to write down how they were and keep it. Does anybody think this will work?

Sorry for the long post but this is really @#%%$^& me off!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by mgunsolus:
I have to vet a bit!!! Today I have 3 machines down.one with a needle hole in the acid line one that is in service mode for whatever reason (i didn't do it)and one with the power cord cut where it connects to the heater element plus the orange wire cut on the 24v cable.

That said we have 18 stations and 21 machines 3 back-ups. Someone suggested to me this.

As you know there are 5 screws that hold the back panels on.I was told to color all five screws each a different color and arrange them one way on 7 machines and another on 7 and another on 7. For me to write down how they were and keep it. Does anybody think this will work?

Sorry for the long post but this is really @#%%$^& me off!!!!!

mgunsolus,

I can understand your frustration. In a unit I once worked for we had a similar situation. I really cannot understand someones motivation to sabotage medical equipment. Really, it will effect the patients. One of these days you are not going to have a backup, and someone is going to have to wait for their treatment. This is a total lack of respect for the patients, and to you mgunsolus. Good luck, and I hope that I can give you some ideas to put this to an end.

To deter anyone from opening the panels, we would place pieces of tamper proof tape across the edges of the panels. I don't know if you used tamper proof tape before, but it is next to impossible to peel it off in one piece and it tears very easily. If anyone tries to open the panel or peel the tape, it would tear. If we noticed any pieces of tape torn, we would pull the machine from service. Now, unfortunately I don't know where to purchase tamper proof tape. I would imagine a company like 3M would manufacture such products. I would get it from the hospital's pharmacy department. They used it to seal medication containers. Also, what we had to do, was lock the spare machines in a storage closet. To open the closet a key had to signed out either from security or the manager. The names and times the closet was opened was recorded. Soon after we did this the tampering of the machines stopped.

Good Luck

techpf,

Thanks techpf I will discuss this with my clinic manager. And just so you will know you can get tamper proof tape from Lab Safety. We just want it stop.Thanks Again

I also had a similar incident. A PCT went as far as pulling a chip from a machine, to make it malfunction. Do a documentation trail, see if there are an unusual amount of break downs when that person is there and at their stations. Get your administrator involved and possibly your medical director, if this pct is doing this without regard for patient safety maybe the administrator should talk to them about the reality of them never becoming biomed or repair tech. If you can follow the problems maybe start "insulting" them with additional training my line was "since you've been experiencing more failures than the rest of the staff I felt I should recommend some additional training". Also when is this occurring, does staff have access to building outside of normal hours (is this person in the building alone with a security code etc?) It's extremely hard to prove and if it's a big corp. they will not fire someone without proof. You have to make them want to leave, the additional training got rid of my "ghosts" Good luck.

RIDICULOUS,

THAT IS THE PROBLEM,ALL THE STAFF HAS ACCESS TO THE BUILDING AFTER HOURS. ALL WE HAVE IS AAN ALARM SYSTEM ONLY ONE CODE. EVERYONE HAS KEYS CAUSE OUR MANAGER THINKS ALL THE TECHS NEED KEYS AND THE NURSES ARE ON CALL SO THEY NEED KEYS AS WELL. OUR ADMINISTRATOR IS INVOLVED AS IS OUR MEDICAL DIRECTOR. I AM ABOUT READY TO GIVE UP I TIRED OF STAYING LATE AND COMING IN EARLY TO FIX LITTLE THINGS. THANKS FOR THE FEED BACK!

HERE IS AN UPDATE ON THIS PROBLEM! I HAD 3 MACHINES GO DOWN YESTERDAY AND GOT CALLED THIS MORNING ABOUT THE RO.
THE BOOSTER PUMP WOULD NOT COME ON AND AFTER HAVING AN ELECTRICIAN LOOK AT IT AND GOT IT RUNNING ALL ???? BROKE LOSE. tHE PUMP IS FIRE HOT AND YOU CAN SMELL IT BURNING. I GUESS THE MACHINES WASN'T ENOUGH THEY HAD TO PICK SOMETHING MORE EXPENSENIVE! WHAT'S UP WITH THAT? WILL LET EVERYONE KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WITH THIS! I AM SO SICK OF IT!!!!!!!!
BUT IT IS NICE TO HAVE SOMEWHERE TO VENT.

A solution that no one has suggested is to call the police. Your facility has been vandalized. How do you know who is really doing this?

Another step you can take, STAKE OUT!!

Grab some mountain dew, a case of twinkies, borrow a friend's car, and hide near the facility after hours. Make sure you bring a camera! May take hours and hours but it will work.

Also, when you capture them, consider criminal charges:
Vandalism
Breaking and Entering
Patient Endangerment

Good Luck!

Lol!! Mountain Dew will definitely be needed. I can't believe that someone would stoop to this level just to annoy someone. This is COMPLETELY unacceptable. Definitely a stake out. Who knows.... when you catch them, not only will you get them out of the picture but you may be looking at a raise or bonus for your efforts? The only thing I would change about TD's idea is try to get a video camera if possible. Much better evidence. Good luck!! I hope your days get better.

quote:

Originally posted by TD:
A solution that no one has suggested is to call the police. Your facility has been vandalized. How do you know who is really doing this?

Another step you can take, STAKE OUT!!

Grab some mountain dew, a case of twinkies, borrow a friend's car, and hide near the facility after hours. Make sure you bring a camera! May take hours and hours but it will work.

Also, when you capture them, consider criminal charges:
Vandalism
Breaking and Entering
Patient Endangerment

Good Luck!

quote:

Originally posted by GTSCSS:
Lol!! Mountain Dew will definitely be needed. I can't believe that someone would stoop to this level just to annoy someone. This is COMPLETELY unacceptable. Definitely a stake out. Who knows.... when you catch them, not only will you get them out of the picture but you may be looking at a raise or bonus for your efforts? The only thing I would change about TD's idea is try to get a video camera if possible. Much better evidence. Good luck!! I hope your days get better.

If I may add to GTSCSS and TD's posts; before you call the police, if you are able, beat the living **** out of whomever you catch. A little workplace violence, without witnesses, is appropriate payback for the anxiety you have encountered and the hazards they have exposed your patients to.

AMEN!! Good thinking Smiler! :-) And TECHNICALLY... wouldn't beating the snot out of them be considered 'preventative maintenance'?? Oh yeah!! *Nods* Don't forget to clock in!! Lol

quote:

Originally posted by Smiler:
If I may add to GTSCSS and TD's posts; before you call the police, if you are able, beat the living **** out of whomever you catch. A little workplace violence, without witnesses, is appropriate payback for the anxiety you have encountered and the hazards they have exposed your patients to.