Tips for packing medical equipment

Whether you are moving someone with a disability, serious medical issues, or your medical practice, you should know that packing medical equipment and supplies is a sensitive matter. This does not only refer to the fragility of those objects. But also to sanitary concerns that you might encounter.  If you are moving with someone with a disability or your private medical practice, movers Jackson MS will be there to help you out. On the other hand, if you are a medical supplier, and you have a constant need for packing medical equipment, you should inform yourself about best practices concerning packing and handling these types of products.

Hiring professionals or packing medical equipment on your own depends on the equipment itself

Medical equipment is a broad term. Many items fall under that category. If you do not have any experience in packing and moving such items, maybe you should consider hiring professional help. Of course, if you are moving to Tennessee from Kentucky and you need to bring a pack of syringes you can probably manage on your own. However, if you will be moving your private clinic or medical practice there will be many complicated items and equipment to pack.

Common medical equipment and how to handle it during a move

As mentioned above there are many different items that might be considered as medical equipment. From small syringes to large CT scans. Here is the list of items that fall under a category of medical equipment. And how to handle them during a move.

Packing diagnostic medical equipment

If you are thinking about packing medical equipment such as X-ray machines, CT scans, MRI scans, ultrasounds and similar do not do it on your own. Hire commercial movers that are specialized in moving such items. This will probably be your only solution. Those machines are just too big, heavy, complicated, expensive and sensitive for you to play with them by yourself.

Packing durable medical equipment

Those are long-term reusable devices. They are used to provide therapeutic help to patients with disabilities or different disorders. Under this category, you will find wheelchairs, hospital beds, walkers, crutches, traction equipment, different mattresses, kidney machines, oxygen tanks, and others. These items can often be found in homes of people with disabilities. If you plan to pack a wheelchair, first make sure that you know how it can be folded. Then you can either find a large enough box that you can fit it in. Or, you can use bubble plastic and wrap it with several layers of it. Make sure that all loose parts are secured a. As those could easily be damaged during a move. The same goes for walkers. Other equipment like kidney machines or oxygen tanks you should leave to professionals.

Packing treatment medical equipment

This type of equipment is used for treating certain medical conditions. Here you will find infusion pumps, surgical machines, medical lasers and similar. Those machines are complex, sensitive and expensive. Do not try to pack and move them on your own. Hire professional packing and unpacking services and let them do the job. They will know how to handle them with care.

Packing medical equipment for surgical procedures

If you will be moving equipment for surgical procedures, you must take all sanitary precautions. Moving diagnostic scopes, surgical gloves, gowns, caps, glasses, drapes, and gauzes looks easy, but think again. Moving is a dirty process. Dirt and dust will be everywhere so you must protect your supplies at all costs. For this, you must find sterile storage bags and use those to pack your medical equipment for surgical procedures.

Packing and moving life support equipment

Heart-lung machines, medical ventilators, incubators or dialysis machines are complicated apparatuses. For this, you will also need the assistance of professional movers.

Packing medical laboratory equipment

There are many different types of analyzers and systems that you can find in one laboratory. Depending on the size of the machine, you should between hiring professionals and packing them on your own.

Find a professional moving company that has experience in moving and packing medical equipment

As you can see, for packing medical equipment, most of the time you will need the help of professional movers. However, moving medical equipment is not as easy as moving a couch. Therefore you will need to find a professional moving company. The one that will know how to move medical practices and their equipment. Of course, as they will be packing and moving such expensive equipment, make sure that you are dealing with reliable professionals. That is the only way to be certain that your medical supplies will be safe during transport.

If you will be doing it on your own prepare the following materials

If you have a patient at home, and you only have a few pieces of medical equipment to pack, maybe you could handle it on your own. Of course, this also depends on the type of equipment and time that you will have to deal with this. Considering you have an ill person to take care of.  However, if you think that it is doable, first, you need to learn how this equipment should be handled. Maybe you have a manual instruction. Or you can contact the medical practice or company that supplied you with it and ask for advice. Nevertheless, whatever type of medical equipment you have to pack and move, you will need to find suitable packing materials. Those will usually be the following:

• Cardboard boxes are good to pack all sorts of stuff. Therefore they are good for packing medical equipment.
• Bubble plastic will usually be your best option when packing medical gear.
• Plastic bags for smaller pieces.
• Sterile bags for packing surgical equipment.
• Packing tapes.
• Moving blankets if you need to add some protection to larger machines.

Most of the times professional help will be your best option

As you can see, packing medical equipment on your own is usually not the best option. When you need to move such complicated, sensitive, and expensive machines, professional help will be your best option. Good luck!