Hospitals and other healthcare facilities unprepared for the power cuts predicted by energy observers in the light of what they say are insufficient UK power reserves, and particularly electrical energy capacity, could face ‘catastrophic’ consequences, warns Bill Wright, head of Energy Solutions at the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA).
In this opinion piece for HEJ he ‘shines a spotlight on the consequences of the energy generation problem’, and explains how electrical contractors can ‘deliver the solution’.
Consider the following scenario – it is 4.00 pm on 15 January 2015 at a hospital in a major UK city. After a recent storm, which has been followed by a cold snap, the lights have been dimming and flickering all day. Then, as if someone has flicked a switch, the hospital’s entire building services, plant, and IT infrastructure go off momentarily until the back-up generator kicks in. Outside, even the streetlights are out, as are the traffic lights, and everything is in eerie darkness. After half an hour, normal service has not resumed, and news feeds through that there has been a major power outage and there is no indication of when it will be fixed. No one knows how long the back-up generator will last for, and, in the meantime, staff are having problems getting to and from work.
Reality check
Log in or register FREE to read the rest
This story is Premium Content and is only available to registered users. Please log in at the top of the page to view the full text.
If you don't already have an account, please register with us completely free of charge.
