Improving patient safety requires that the anaesthesiologist or the anaesthetist conducts a pre-use check of anaesthetic equipment as a primary responsibility. Correct functioning of these equipment must be ensured and the anaesthesiologist/anaesthetist must not use equipment which they are not trained and competent to use.
In any location where anaesthesia may be given, a self-inflating bag must be readily available and breathing and ventilating equipment individually checked. A record should be kept with the anaesthetic machine that these checks have been done. Especially important is the ‘first-user’ check and record after servicing.