SUMMER MAINTENANCE
COST OF DOWNTIME Whilst patient comfort is of vital
importance, so is the effective functioning of the equipment and medication used to treat them. Overheating equipment can lead to periods of downtime, with opportunity costs of a single operating theatre estimated to be £1,000s per day.
When reviewing a healthcare facility, key temperatures for effective patient treatment, care and comfort include:
• 24°C | Wards play a key role in patient recovery. Quality sleep can be assisted by preventing daytime temperatures rising above 24°C, otherwise patients become more susceptible to bed sores and extended recovery times. Temperatures should be prevented from rising above 28°C as a very maximum.
• 24°C | Pharmacies are responsible for the storage of medicines ranging from life-saving medication to over- the-counter drugs such as Paracetamol. 24°C is the ideal temperature for the storage of many drugs, as temperatures higher than this can cause some medicines to degrade.
• 21-23°C |Waiting and treatment rooms should be maintained at a comfortable temperature for patients and staff.
• 22°C | Pathology labs are essential in the detection of illness and disease. Almost every NHS patient will have supplied a sample of blood, stool, urine or tissue for analysis by a Pathologist. A suitable room temperature of 22°C is necessary to safeguard tests from being spoilt.
• 19-22°C | MRI and scanning rooms need close temperature control. Not only does a scanner itself need vital cooling to function but as it radiates heat, the room temperature has to be controlled as a warm and humid atmosphere will affect the accuracy of imaging.
www.tomorrowsfm.com
EFFECTIVE MAINTENANCE As the summer draws closer, Estate
and Facilities Managers should look to ensure that their air conditioning solutions are working correctly. In hospitals, air conditioning units serve a greater function than those in standard buildings and are therefore required to meet higher standards of performance. Inefficient systems can result in equipment downtime, patient discomfort and increased costs for the healthcare estate. Additional cooling is often required in older hospital buildings or facilities that have been adapted for modern use, where fixed HVAC systems may be insufficient and natural ventilation limited due to increasing restrictions on maximum window openings.
“THE COMPLEX NATURE OF A HOSPITAL
ENVIRONMENT
REQUIRES VARIED TEMPERATURE CONTROL.”
There are a number of key elements to assess in fixed and portable air conditioning solutions ahead of the summer including:
Fixed air conditioning check points:
• Clean the condenser coil every six months. Dirty condenser coils raise refrigerant pressure higher than needed, increasing power consumption
Clean the air filter monthly. A restricted air filter can cause the air conditioning unit to waste energy and shorten the compressor’s life
• Leak testing the refrigerant charge system annually is a mandatory requirement under the Fgas regulations. A low refrigerant charge can easily go unnoticed and increase operating costs of the system, whilst an incorrect charge can cause compressor failure
• Take and record temperature and pressures regularly. An accurate record of your equipment’s vital data can indicate potential problems, which can be eliminated
Portable air conditioning check points:
• The unit should carry an up to date electrical test label to prove that it has undergone safety testing before being delivered
• Filters should be cleaned or replaced prior to hire to ensure that the unit is running to its full capability
• The exhaust tube must be kept as short as possible, avoiding kinks, to allow the internal fan to work efficiently and prevent back pressure causing the unit to ‘trip’
• The condensate drain tube must be checked to ensure that it is not blocked and water is running freely into a drain point or container, preventing spills and hazards
• The controls should be checked to ensure that they have not been altered as this could change the effectiveness and cooling efficiency of the unit
CONTINGENCY
PLANNING Contingency planning for the warmer summer months and for sudden peaks in temperature can save a great deal of stress for Facilities and Estates Managers. Preparing an effective mobilisation plan that can be actioned in cases where a building has no fixed cooling, if supplementary cooling is required to help existing systems to cope, or in the event of an air conditioning breakdown, is not as time consuming or demanding as it may sound.
A specialist provider will be able to assist with the development of a contingency plan and even ring fence items for you so they can be on-site as soon as possible. Andrews Sykes can deliver air-conditioning and chiller hire units anywhere in the UK within as little as four hours.
www.andrews-sykes.com TOMORROW’S FM | 47
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