Most U.S. hospitals are equipped with backup generators in case of a power outage in their area, but one in 20 say they are not fully prepared for such an event, according to an article on the Health Facilities Management website.
Even though most hospitals have adequate backup power and conduct the required testing and maintenance of equipment, they still may not be ready for an outage for other reasons, Dan Barbersek, director of industrial sales, Generac Power Systems, Waukesha, Wis., said in the article.
"During a long outage when a hospital is running on backup generators, things start to get exposed where you don't have the right elevators operating or you don't have the right hallways lit to transport patients in and out," Barbersek said.
Barbersek advised that hospitals hire a healthcare engineering firm to figure out exactly how well-prepared they are if an outage hits. Otherwise, it's easy for facilities to become complacent simply by having the correct capacity backup power, he said.
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