MegaTest Blog Series: Understanding BPA & Electrical Safety in GP Practices - Planning BPA & Medical Safety Changes
- MegaTest
- Jan 16
- 2 min read
Blog 4: Planning BPA & Medical Safety Changes Without Panic
Quick summary
Most BPA and medical safety changes are not urgent
Once BPA rooms are commissioned, they require ongoing annual verification
RCDs in non-BPA areas should still be tested as part of general electrical safety
Applying the right standard to the right risk avoids over- or under-testing
Planning BPA & Medical Safety Changes
One of the biggest concerns we hear from medical practices is:
“Do we need to fix everything right now?”
In most cases, the answer is no.
Electrical and medical safety standards are designed to support safe, well-managed practices — not to force sudden or disruptive changes. The key is understanding what applies, what does not, and how to plan improvements sensibly over time.
Planning, not panic
Best practice for medical practices is to:
Understand which rooms are classified as Body Protected Areas (BPAs)
Identify what work is required to bring those rooms into compliance
Plan any upgrades in a staged and cost-effective manner
Use clear, accurate information when engaging electricians and inspectors
Independent reviews can help practices avoid unnecessary electrical work, set realistic budgets, and ensure that any changes made are technically correct.
Annual testing of BPA rooms
Once a Body Protected Area (BPA) has been correctly installed and commissioned, it is important to understand that compliance is not a one-off exercise.
AS/NZS 3003 requires BPA rooms to undergo ongoing annual verification to confirm that protective measures remain effective. This includes verification of the medical RCD operation and confirmation that earthing and bonding arrangements remain within acceptable limits.
Annual testing helps ensure that changes over time — such as wear, alterations, or equipment replacement — do not compromise patient or staff safety.
RCD testing outside BPA rooms
It is also important to distinguish between BPA rooms and other areas within a practice, such as standard consultation rooms, corridors, nurse stations, and office spaces.
While these areas are not classified as BPAs and do not require full testing under AS/NZS 3003, RCDs supplying these spaces should still be tested as part of routine electrical safety checks.
In non-BPA areas, RCD testing focuses on confirming correct operation and trip performance and is carried out under general electrical safety principles, without applying BPA-specific testing or classification.
Applying the right standard to the right risk
Understanding which standard applies to which risk is key:
AS/NZS 3003 applies to BPA rooms and patient areas
AS/NZS 3551 applies to medical equipment
AS/NZS 3760 applies to general electrical safety, including RCD testing outside BPA rooms
Applying the right standard in the right context helps practices maintain safety, meet their obligations, and avoid unnecessary testing or misclassification.
Questions about Planning BPA & Medical Safety Changes Without Panic?
If you’d like a clear, non-urgent overview of BPA and medical electrical safety requirements for your practice, the team at MegaTest Solutions Ltd is happy to help.
Call Us
027 22 33 446
This concludes our BPA and medical electrical safety blog series. You can revisit any article in the series at any time.
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