*as far as I know, the following exists in the US only*
Have you ever noticed an electrical receptical upside down? I asked about this, and I was told that this practice originated in hospitals. The engineers feared that with all the tubes and electrical equipment about, there could be a chance that a cord could get pulled loose, exposing the electrically hot plug. They didn't want a chance that an IV stand would get caught in this, thus electricuting the patient. So they stuck them upside down. A simpler method: plastic iv stand. No need to fear about this form of electricution again.-- ghillie, May 21 2004 We talking about these things? http://www.necaibew...m/images/outlet.jpg [DrCurry, Oct 05 2004] I.V. Product Catalogue http://www.msdistri...stration%20sets.pdfAbbott Labs Venoset Secondary Piggyback Tubing Set "includes plastic hanger"(on p5 of 6) [xclamp, Oct 05 2004] We're talking about these things, too http://images.googl...DUTF-8%26safe%3Doffnotice that its _all metal_ [ghillie, Oct 05 2004] A UK electrical outlet http://www.barrylane.co.uk/electrical.htm(Bottom picture) [angel, Oct 05 2004] Hmm, who defines "upside down"? I wonder if the "proper" orientation of a residential duplex outlet is even defined in the NEC? I guess I'll have to look.
There must be some reason that they are still made of metal. Durability? Strength? Appearance of quality? Sanitary considerations? Tradition?
Any hospital procurement people out there?-- Gromit, May 21 2004 // They didn't want a chance that an IV hanger would get caught in this ...
and another slipshod construction project passes code under time and over budget.
You'd have a hard time finding a metal IV hanger where I've been recently. You'd have a hard time finding a metal needle.-- dpsyplc, May 21 2004 Where would that be? MRI chamber? Haystack?-- Gromit, May 21 2004 I was just wondering that...-- ghillie, May 21 2004 ? I assume the predominance of plastic is a subtile reminder that to reuse risks unacceptable use -- except maybe if you'd let your mom have a kidney someone else has used.-- dpsyplc, May 21 2004 Oh. Thanks for clearing that up.-- Gromit, May 21 2004 What's with the sudden craze of 'baked' and 'widely known to exist'?! I missed the whole argument, I think. What exactly defines 'widely known to exist'? My aunt is a nurse at a couple of hospitals, and that's where I got the information. She says the hospitals she's worked at don't have these (and we're not talking ghetto hospitals). I think that kind of nullifies the 'widely known to exist'.-- ghillie, May 22 2004 So, the mystery of my upside down plugs is revealed. I’d wondered about that, but finally concluded (correctly, it seems) that the electrical subcontractor was an idiot.-- ldischler, May 22 2004 Plugs have an upside down?-- DrCurry, May 22 2004 That's what I was wondering, way up there ^^^. Was it an arbitrary decision that became a defacto standard? Are some cords molded a certain way based on that orientation?
Having said that, I always install them with the ground prong toward the bottom and have "corrected" those that were not installed that way. It bugs me when they're installed the other way.-- Gromit, May 22 2004 [ghillie] the baked/widely know to exist debate isn't my thing. i was just pointing out that they have been invented and are in use in >100 hospitals here (even in ghettos!?), so while your idea is a good one, it has been done, patented etc. i'll leave the definition of widely known to exist to the experts, hence i didn't put an mfd here.-- xclamp, May 22 2004 Wasn't saying it was your debate, [xclamp], and I'm glad you didn't m-f-d it.-- ghillie, May 22 2004 Note the all metal IV stand [see link]
I apologize for calling it an IV 'hanger', that's been fixed now.-- ghillie, May 22 2004 I guess you guys are all USers; UK outlets need never be installed umop apisdn because our plugs have the cord entering at the bottom, rather that in the end, so cannot as easily be pulled from the outlet by tugging on the cord.-- angel, May 22 2004 random, halfbakery