Generator mishaps make matters worse
Hospital Safety Connection, August 31, 2005
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Hospitals in Hurricane Katrina's path that relied on emergency generator power either faced dwindling diesel supplies or equipment that failed to work.
Kindred Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, FL, saw its generator fuel pump blow out, forcing staff to manually bag 21 patients who were on mechanical ventilators, the Sun-Sentinel newspaper reported. Kindred braved the hurricane last week when the storm skirted along the southern tip of Florida.
While not foolproof, the following ideas may help facilities avert generator problems:
- Insist that engineering staff regularly check three common failure areas in generators: transfer switches, batteries, and fuel pumps
- If you lose your main power, make sure staff turn off unnecessary electrical equipment to reduce the load on the generator
- Have an agreement in place with a local vendor or public safety agency to bring in an extra generator ahead of time if a major storm is imminent
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