Drugdu.com expert's response:

Whether overdue large-scale equipment can continue to be used requires discussion based on equipment type. Medical devices are strictly prohibited from being used beyond their expiration dates, special equipment can be extended for use only after passing inspection or assessment and undergoing registration changes, while other equipment should be decided upon after a comprehensive evaluation of safety risks. The specific analysis is as follows:

Medical Devices: Strictly Prohibited from Being Used Beyond Expiration Dates

Legal Basis: According to Article 39 of the Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Medical Devices and Article 10 of the Provisions on the Management of Instructions and Labels for Medical Devices, the instructions and labels of medical devices must indicate the production date, service life, or expiration date. Continuing to use medical devices beyond their marked expiration dates will result in administrative penalties, including confiscation of illegally produced, operated, or used medical devices, fines, and even revocation of relevant licenses.
Risk Analysis: The use of medical devices beyond their expiration dates may lead to a decline in product safety and performance, such as electrical safety hazards and reduced product performance, thereby causing serious harm to patients. For example, after an ultrasonic diagnostic instrument expires, the performance of its probe may decline, affecting diagnostic accuracy.

Special Equipment: Can Be Extended for Use Only After Passing Inspection or Assessment and Undergoing Registration Changes

Legal Basis: According to Article 48 of the Special Equipment Safety Law, for special equipment that has reached its designed service life, such as boilers, pressure vessels, and elevators, if continued use is required, it must pass inspection or safety assessment in accordance with the requirements of safety technical specifications, and the registration certificate of use must be changed.
Operational Procedures: The user unit needs to entrust a professional technical institution with corresponding qualifications to conduct inspection or safety assessment. After obtaining approval from the unit's safety management responsible person and the main person in charge, an application for registration change should be submitted to the equipment registration authority.
Case Illustration: Taking elevators as an example, although there is no mandatory national regulation on the scrapping lifespan of elevator units, some recommended national standards and local standards have stipulated scrapping conditions for the main components of elevators. If the components meet the scrapping conditions, they need to be repaired or replaced. For elevators that have reached their designed service life but are in good condition, they can be extended for use after passing inspection or assessment.

Other Large-Scale Equipment: Should Be Decided Upon After a Comprehensive Evaluation of Safety Risks

Evaluation Factors: For large-scale equipment that is neither medical nor special, such as industrial machinery and large experimental instruments, whether to continue using it requires a comprehensive evaluation of factors such as the equipment's safety performance, frequency of use, and maintenance status.
Recommended Measures: If the equipment is in good condition and is deemed可以继续使用 (can continue to be used) after professional assessment, a detailed maintenance plan should be formulated, and daily inspections should be strengthened. If the equipment has safety hazards or significantly degraded performance, it should be scrapped and replaced with new equipment in a timely manner.