This article is intended to provide you a list of aspects to check the condition of the electrical installations in the hospital unit, therefore we offer it as a practical and quick guide to determine the status of the electrical system in a hospital.
We address hospital units since we know that they are environments with high risks of electrical failures when they do not have an appropriate electrical safety system.
In these situations, failures do not limit their consequences to damages to electrical equipment, but they can extend to human losses.
You certainly want the hospital unit under your care to operate optimally and safely.
Nos dirigimos a unidades hospitalarias porque sabemos que son contextos con altos riesgos de fallos eléctricos cuando no cuentan con un sistema de seguridad eléctrica adecuada.
Y en estos contextos los fallos no limitan sus consecuencias a daños en equipos que se alimentan de electricidad, sino que pueden extenderse a pérdidas humanas.
Con toda seguridad quieres que la unidad hospitalaria bajo tu cargo cuente con un funcionamiento óptimo y seguro.
An electrical installation in hospitals requires constant supervision
If the hospital unit is already working, and has an electrical installation working properly, constant supervision of the components is also necessary.
This will guarantee that it continues to work well, and that no unexpected event or external failure affects the installation and the consequences extend to equipment and hazards human life.
The best thing is to have a diagnosis of how it is working, there are incidents that are not detected at first sight, or sometimes not detected by an internal maintenance department because they do not have levels of specialization.
That is why ETKHO offers its consulting and diagnostic services, we make a complete evaluation considering all the details that could influence future failures.
A proper performance today is not enough, you must have a system that can predict failures and fix them before they cause damage and losses.
Features of a practical and quick guide to know the condition of the electrical installations
Keeping the following aspects in mind will allow you to have installations with no incidents. These are some of the things we always consider when it comes to electrical systems in hospitals.
First of all, we must make sure that the design of the electrical system in hospitals is good, that it is built properly and that it has been tested for operation and maintenance.
Ventilation in laboratories, for gas extraction is necessary, and it is part of a design that guarantees more safety. This ventilation is required for ethylene oxide sterilization systems.
On the other hand, regarding electrical protections that guarantee the continuity of the services, it is necessary to have alternative source of electrical energy supply for hospitals, which must be of levels I, II and III.
An automatic transfer system with a network switch is required. If your hospital does not have this, you need to contact experts for its installation.
The installation of an UPS or uninterruptible power supply is required in critical areas, because this is what will guarantee continuity of service in the event of a power outage.
In addition to this, it is necessary to provide an isolated power system or earth connection in critical areas, in order to protect the life of patients in the event of a power failure.
Crucial technical aspects for hospital electrical systems
Although the above aspects are related to design and protection, there are also technical aspects to be considered on which the optimal functioning of the electrical system depends.
Among these technical aspects, when evaluating the electrical system, the power of the isolation transformer of the isolated power system should be considered, which must be between 0.5 KVA to 10 KVA.
On the other hand, the secondary voltage must be below 250V, and have a temperature control without an automatic switch on the secondary.
As for the isolation monitor, it must trigger an alarm when the isolation resistance between phase and ground is less than 50 kΩ.
Key considerations for patients and staff protection
As you can see we are giving you a practical and quick guide to check the design of the installations or electrical system of hospitals.
The idea is that you can evaluate, however we are in obligation to recommend you to hire experts for advice and diagnosis, that way we can cover with more accuracy and professionalism these aspects that we are sharing.
Every hospital unit, within its electrical system, must have a differential earth-fault switch, as this protects people from being electrocuted in wet areas.
Therefore, electrical equipment should not be fixed at less than 1.53m above the ground. This is how static electricity is prevented from producing sparks.
There must be a conductive flooring in places where flammable disinfectants or flammable anesthetics are stored, and this is crucial for safety.
To protect patients, fixed electrical equipment and all outlets need to be connected to the insulation system, so this is another aspect you should evaluate in a design review.
In addition, regarding the power outlets that feed the general or critical patient areas, they must be designed to be able to feed the greatest possible number of equipment that must operate simultaneously.
It is recommended that these outlets are connected to two different energy sources, or to the emergency plant through two automatic transfers.
Considering these aspects that we have shown you, you can ensure that your hospital unit works well at electrical level.
However, there is still much to be seen, many aspects that must be constantly evaluated to avoid failures with unfortunate consequences.
Please do not hesitate to contact us to find out more about our services and how we can help you to have a safer and perfectly functioning hospital.