Lack of Emergency Lighting
Hospitals may lose normal power for a variety of reasons, including natural disasters and other emergencies. An ³¯Ñô³Ô¹Ïessential electrical system (EES) survey found that facilities responding to the survey averaged at least one electrical utility outage each year. The vast majority of these electrical outages were not due to major storms or natural disasters. Making sure that hospitals are always ready for utility outages with a well maintained EES is vital to the safety and well-being of patients. The Joint Commission requires hospitals to have emergency power for alarm systems, means of egress, communications, at least one elevator, and equipment and areas that if lost would cause harm to patients. Emergency lighting in mission critical areas is vital and has been a repeated finding by the Joint Commission.
ISSUE – Terms and Concepts
- (PDF excerpt from Inside ³¯Ñô³Ô¹Ïmagazine; full magazine and back issues available to ³¯Ñô³Ô¹Ïmembers here)
- Conference session recording: Superstorm Sandy’s Impact on Essential Electrical Systems: What Went Right? (³¯Ñô³Ô¹Ïmembers only)
MITIGATION – Tools and Resources