Besides providing stable power to critical life-support equipment, hospital
backup generators also perform various functions that contribute to the overall operation of the facility. The following are specific parts of a hospital's power system that generators support.
1. Life Support Equipment
Intensive Care Unit patients rely on life-support equipment to stay alive. A power outage can be a matter of life or death for them. Maintaining backup power protects these individuals from serious complications if their life-support equipment shuts down. This can also include situations where essential equipment is needed for operation and emergency medical care is required. Backup generators are a critical component in providing consistent patient care, regardless of whether the facility requires them.
Hospital backup generators are typically required to fully restore power within ten seconds of an initial power outage. Taking longer than this could seriously harm patients receiving life support. This is why regulations regarding the quality and maintenance of hospital generators are often more stringent than those in other industries.
2. Medical Supply and Vaccine Refrigeration
Many medical supplies require refrigeration to maintain their safety and stability. For example, medical storage facilities may store vaccines, blood, insulin, tissue, plasma, organs, or IV drips. If a facility loses power, the backup generator must be turned on to prevent the refrigeration unit from raising the storage temperature of the medical supplies. If the temperature exceeds a certain level for a certain period of time (which varies depending on the vaccine and supplies), the hospital must discard the supplies. Protecting refrigeration units and storing supplies at the required temperature ensures safety and stability.
3. Medical Equipment
Hospitals constantly use high-tech, expensive equipment. For example, magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs), X-ray machines, and testing machines used to determine a correct diagnosis and monitor patients' vital signs require power to operate. A power outage could severely damage some of these machines, costing the facility significant money to repair or replace them. Furthermore, the hospital would be unable to provide patient care with damaged equipment until repairs are complete. Furthermore, electronic recordkeeping means that medical records and other important documents rely on electricity and the internet to be accessible to doctors and staff. A backup power source in a hospital or other healthcare facility can prevent costly damage to state-of-the-art equipment and keep the facility's diagnostic tools functioning properly.
4. Surgical Equipment
Surgical equipment, such as operating room lights, ventilators, heart monitors, or heart-lung machines, requires constant power. Keeping the equipment used during surgery functioning properly protects patients and allows surgeons to continue their procedures uninterrupted. In certain situations, such as organ transplants, time is crucial to the success of the operation. Therefore, backup generators that prevent time lost due to power outages can prevent surgical complications.
5. Occupational Safety
Another reason hospitals use backup generators is for occupational safety. One thing you'll notice when you visit a hospital is that every area is always well-lit. Imagine if surgeons, doctors, and emergency personnel had to work in the dark! A dimly lit room or a sudden power outage could spell disaster.
6. Facility Power
Facility power must continue to operate during a power outage because it ensures the safety and comfort of building occupants. For example, heating and cooling systems regulate temperature and humidity. Similarly, elevators and escalators use facility power. A hospital's generators keep the facility running with minimal disruption.
7. Electronic Medical Records
However, a drawback of this system is the need to maintain power to computers and on-site servers. Computers must have power to ensure access to critical patient care documents and important communications between healthcare providers across different facilities. During a power outage, generators can keep these systems running, reducing the impact of a main power outage on patient care.
8. Security Systems
Security systems protect hospital facilities from unauthorized access to sensitive areas. For example, access control systems that open doors for authorized personnel to access laboratories, operating rooms, and offices where sensitive patient information is stored require power. Hospital backup power supplies provide the power necessary to ensure facility security.
9. Emergency Preparedness
In emergency situations, such as accidents or natural disasters, patients may be rushed to the emergency room of a hospital or larger hospital or healthcare facility. In these life-saving situations, maintaining power to keep equipment operational is crucial. Without backup power, patients may need to be transported to the nearest hospital with working power, potentially threatening their lives.
The above examples demonstrate the crucial role electricity plays in hospital operations. The consequences of a hospital losing power are unimaginable. This demonstrates the significant role hospital backup generators play in responding to sudden power outages and can even save patients' lives.
