Safety

Gas main fire puts hospital on emergency power

Hospital Safety Connection, January 24, 2007

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An Ohio hospital was forced onto emergency power for about four hours on January 22 after utility workers struck a gas line outside the facility, causing a fire.

Medina (OH) General Hospital diverted incoming patients to other medical centers and canceled that morning's outpatient surgeries, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.

Flames from the gas line reached as high as 70 ft. near the emergency room (ER) entrance, so the hospital relocated some ER patients to other areas of the building, the Journal reported.

This incident gives a good indication of why The Joint Commission wants hospitals to be sure that their emergency power sources can run for lengthy durations. Standard EC.7.40 now requires four-hour generator tests every 36 months.



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