The patient was on bottled oxygen and scheduled for an MRI scan at a medical center. When she entered the room containing the Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine, its powerful magnets snatched the metal canister away, sending it flying through the air and slamming the bottle into the MRI housing.

MRIs CAN BE DANGEROUS
So powerful were the MRI magnets, the steel bottle could not be removed. The patient apparently was not injured, but a technician was struck in the hand. The center had to call the MRI manufacturer and wait for a service specialist to arrive and complete a controlled shutdown of the machine to clear the bottle.

VIEW THESE VIDEOS TO SEE WHY
How strong is the magnetic field of MRI machines? Click here and here for controlled demonstrations of how an MRI can turn an oxygen bottle into a dangerous projectile. Another video shows the potential risk to patients and medical staff when a metal bed is exposed to an operating MRI machine.

INVISIBLE FORCE, SUDDEN IMPACT
The invisible force of MRI machines can pull in scissors, tools, even chairs or other metal objects at speeds up to 40 mph. Earrings are torn away and keys yanked from people's pockets. A police officer's gun discharged when it was drawn into an MRI. In another case, a six-year-old boy was killed when a bottle fractured his skull.

SUPER MAGNETS, 1,300 VOLTS
MRI scanners generate up to 1,300 volts of electricity, 13 times the average household, and can have equipment values of $1 million or more. Drawing power from super cooled helium, the magnets are never off, even at night, and cutting electricity will not affect them. The gas must be vented to shut down an MRI, a time-consuming process.

YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE EXPOSED
Your customers need to understand the exposures for locations with MRIs. With an estimated 10 million MRI scans each year, there is a serious risk of injury, property damage and equipment breakdown. So many incidents result in loss and harm, medical groups and equipment manufacturers urge extreme care.

A MISTAKE CAN HAVE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES
Despite precautions, accidents happen. HSB has investigated reports of metal objects causing damage or other losses related to MRI machines. A custodian's metal bucket was hurled into an MRI. This article began with an example of human error: Medical workers switched the patient's oxygen bottle with what they thought was a safe aluminum bottle. They didn't know, or check, that is was actually steel.

GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MRIs
A source of information about how MRIs work and their risks is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). HSB can provide your customers with equipment breakdown insurance, backed by underwriters and claim specialists with experience in covering MRIs and other highly technical medical and electronic equipment.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EQUIPMENT COVERAGE
Contact your HSB representative for more information.