Definitions of equipment categories and incident categories with illustrative examples
| Category and definition | Illustrative example(s) |
| Medical device: Equipment that is used during the surgery procedure. Needs to be powered and gives information and/or has moving parts. Repairs and inspections are done by the department of Medical Technology. | Video carts, infusion pumps, x-rays |
| Instruments: Equipment that is durable and does not need power. Most instruments are treated by the sterilisation department. | Everything in a set of instruments—for example, scalpels, scissors and tweezers. Furthermore, add-ons for medical devices for example, saws, drills and scopes are defined as instruments. |
| (Disposable) Materials: (Bulk) products that are disposable after use. Furthermore, durable products that do not need to be sterile or powered are defined as materials. | Bulk products such as needles, plasters and bandages. Furthermore, the materials category contains products such as implants and ECG cables. |
| Facilitating equipment: Equipment that has a supporting function in the OR | Equipment such as specialised operating room-doors, air-filtering systems, operating room-tables, operating room-lighting, non-medical computers and telephones |
| Equipment not available: Equipment that cannot be found, that is in use already, or is not sterile | Special implants were sent to the hospital but arrived at the wrong location. Surgery was postponed until transportation to the other location was arranged. |
| Failing equipment: Equipment that fails while using or testing it | During a minimal invasive surgery procedure, images on the video cart were no longer visible. A broken scope needed replacement in order to regain visual contact. |
| Misuse: Using equipment in an improper way by operating room employees | While lowering the operating room table, a bedspread was crushed between the sliding mechanism. This stopped the operating room table from moving, and a replacement was used. |
| Other: All incidents that cannot be placed in the categories unavailable, failing or misuse. | A bearhugger blanket for warming the patient was available, but could not be used due to protocol issues |