Power When It Counts

By David L. Stymiest, P.E., CHFM, FASHE (on FacilitiesNet.com)

Hospital maintenance and engineering departments must have programs in place to monitor and test their facilities’ emergency power systems. With the recent release of the Sentinel Event Alert 37, the bar is higher for all health care organizations accredited by the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

Before the alert, the recordkeeping for many hospitals’ testing programs consisted mainly of generator loading and operating parameters, test times, and verification of transfer switch operation. Now managers must consider other issues, including test-related interactions with HVAC, vertical-transportation, and clinical systems and equipment.

Read entire article here: Power When It Counts