An accident involving a floor cleaning machine caused major damage to an MR scanner at Turku University Central in Finland, highlighting the persistent safety challenges posed by strong magnetic fields in imaging suites.

The incident occurred last week when a facility cleaner mistakenly entered the room with the machine, which was sucked into the MR bore.

Mikko Pietilä, director of hospital services for the Southwest Finland Welfare Region, confirmed the event and described it as a clear case of human error. “Luckily, no injuries were reported. It was human error and it happened before any patients were in the room,” Pietilä told Iltalehti.
The damaged MR unit is out of service, with insurance negotiations underway to determine the coverage for repair costs.

According to Turun Sanomat, the employee involved had followed most safety protocols, including removing all other metallic objects, but did not realize the cleaning equipment itself contained metal incompatible with MR safety guidelines.

While Pietilä noted that minor safety incidents involving MR equipment have occurred in the past, he said he could not recall a case involving such significant damage. The cleaning device was also damaged in the event, but its cost is negligible compared to the MR system.

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