JCAHO Shares Power Failure Risk Reduction Strategies
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) is advising hospitals on a number of steps to keep patients safe in the event of a disaster that would shut down their electrical power supply. Emergency electrical power systems have failed in the past including across whole medical centers, leading in some cases to patient deaths. First, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) establishes codes and standards on the minimum design, installation, and testing of Emergency Power Supply Systems (EPSS) in the National Electric Code (NFPA 70), the Standard on Health Care Facilities (NFPA 99), and the Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems (NFPA 110).
However, these standards address immediate, short-term needs. Major catastrophes such as hurricane Katrina require longer electrical autonomy as well as broader service accross facilities beyond their most acute departments such as operating rooms. Cooling or ventilation might be shut down, as well as some elevators. The commission urges hospitals to proactively assess their vulnerability by taking steps that include:
- Meeting their local utility provider to ask about how reliable their supply is. The vulnerability of huge parts of the American power grid has been demonstrated by the August 2003 blackout that affected 40 million people in eight U.S. states plus another ten million in Ontario.
- Testing the entire emergency power supply system against NFPA 110 requirements.
- Documenting test results, procedures, inventories of emergency systems, and contigency plans.
September 6, 2006 Related topics: Facilities