The use of electrosurgical equipment is now common practice, enabling the surgeon to employ high-frequency alternating current to cauterise, cut or dissect through tissue planes. Electrosurgery was first introduced into medical practice in the 1920s and in the subsequent decades has revolutionised surgical care.1 Nonetheless its use is not free from risks, which include damage to local tissue (ie, neurovascular structures) and arcing with metal instruments or implants causing burns. Extreme care is therefore paramount when handling such equipment in the perioperative setting.

Modern day surgery has evolved, allowing parallel multiple site surgery to be routinely undertaken with the use of multiple electrosurgical consoles and their corresponding foot pedals, bipolar/monopolar forceps and finger switches. Often …