ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
Championing the benefits of modular wiring
Apex Wiring Solutions Sales director, Paul Hopps, outlines how the leading modular wiring manufacturer is – as he puts it – ‘helping to revolutionise construction of healthcare facilities’, and champions the many benefits that the company says modular wiring offers the sector.
Our work at Apex is really diverse. We work across every sector, and while many of our contracts are for large-scale, multi- million pound builds, we also work on quite architecturally sensitive regeneration projects that require a great deal of care and bespoke solutions. However, I have always had a particular focus on the healthcare sector. From overseeing the sales strategy, to directly engaging with clients to understand the unique needs of every development, I’m fascinated by the challenges posed by every project that comes our way.
‘Master problem-solvers’ Apex has spent the best part of four decades refining, updating, and adding innovation to our wiring solutions. Not only are we masters of delivering exactly what each customer needs, but we’re also master problem-solvers. Every project is different, but you can guarantee that each one will pose a unique challenge that we’ll need to overcome, and healthcare facilities are certainly no different. It’s fair to say that modular wiring is perfect for the health sector, in which rapid, reliable solutions not only help initial builds, but also make any future maintenance, extensions, or repairs easier. By removing all the challenges that come with traditional ‘twin and earth’ wiring methods, and incorporating the prefabricated elements of our ‘plug- and play’ design, projects are simplified enormously.
While the quick and easy installation of
every component ensures reduced man- hours on site, aiding build programmes, it’s the system’s reliability that is so vital in healthcare, helping ensure smooth operations, patient wellbeing, and efficient service delivery, and powering
68 Health Estate Journal August 2024
Apex says that it has ‘spent the best part of four decades refining, updating, and adding innovation’ to its wiring solutions.
critical equipment and communication systems. The shift from traditional methods to modular is transformative, and has streamlined installation, aiding the overall safety, efficiency, and flexibility of projects. The manufacture of ready-made components in a controlled environment reduces on-site labour, minimises disruption, and ensures quality. Modular also allows electrical systems
to be adaptable, in an environment where changes and expansions are commonplace, and traditional methods can fail to keep up. In such a dynamic environment, adaptability is crucial, and modular allows us to easily reconfigure or change electrical systems to accommodate new equipment, layout changes, or technology advancements. It’s essentially future-proofing healthcare infrastructure. Patient safety and wellbeing, and ensuring regulatory compliance, are both paramount in healthcare facilities. Apex emphasises that modular systems adhere to strict safety standards and codes in order to minimise the risk of electrical failures, fire hazard, and operational disruptions, and puts all of its modular systems through rigorous testing and certification processes to ensure that safety standards are met or exceeded. In our industry, it is safety above all else. We make sure that everything that arrives
on site is as safe as it can possibly be for patients and professionals. The whole process – from manufacture to installation – is hands-on to ensure consistent quality and welfare before the project is complete.
Streamlined maintenance All of Apex’s modular systems are designed with simplicity and safety front of mind; from installation to maintenance, to upgrades, ‘going modular’ makes the process easier than with traditional methods. Thanks to modular, maintenance of electrical systems in healthcare facilities becomes systematic and less disruptive; components are universal and future- proofed, and easily accessed to replace, which helps to minimise downtime and optimise efficiency. Older wiring methods require
disassembly and troubleshooting to find any issues – you’re regularly chasing multiple cables around and finding all sorts of badly-finished connections, whereas with modular everything arrives on site cut to the correct lengths, with the correct components all ready to install. In the unlikely event that there are any glitches, we can quickly identify, locate, and repair faults with minimal disruption. Going modular also facilitates upgrades as healthcare developments evolve to meet new standards. Modular systems offer the flexibility to adapt without significant
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