Backup Generators for Medical Laboratories
While most people think of commercial facilities and industrial applications when it comes to backup generators, there are many medical facilities that also rely on having a reliable source of power in case of power outages. While backup generators are widely used in hospitals and better living centers/senior living communities – medical laboratories are an industry that also require backup power. Medical laboratories such as those that conduct research on vaccines, new diseases, medications, medical treatments, or process lab samples are all considered mission critical applications that require 100% uptime. While there are many industries that have certain requirements when it comes to having backup power, medical laboratories have very specific conditions that must be met in order to ensure safe handling practices.
With the inclusion of any key systems and lab equipment that may be required to conduct tests, process samples, and record research, temperature controlled storage is absolutely critical in these facilities.
Medical laboratories that process samples, examine specimens, or conduct research often require temperature controlled environments, especially during storage. If the power were to go out, fluctuating temperatures could alter or even damage any samples or specimens that are exposed to warmer temperatures.
When it comes to medical laboratories that manufacture, produce, store, or administer vaccines, the requirements are a bit more strict. There are many vaccines that must be tightly temperature controlled to prevent spoilage. Most vaccines are sensitive to fluctuating temperatures and some must even be kept frozen, then thawed before administering. If a vaccine that must be kept frozen begins to thaw completely due to a power outage, the vaccine will most likely lose its potency and will be considered unusable, which will then require disposal of the spoiled vaccine. Overall, vaccine storage temperatures that are left unmonitored can negatively impact overall vaccine safety and cause loss of vaccine doses available for administration.
When failure to maintain vaccines within required temperature ranges occur, this is called “cold chain failure”. Cold chain explicitly refers to the safe handling practices, including any materials, equipment, and procedures to ensure that vaccines are maintained within specific temperature ranges from the moment they are manufactured to the time they are administered out to any patients. When this chain is broken in any way, this is considered a “cold chain failure”. While physicians and improper refrigeration equipment are often considered broken links to the chain, power failure and outages are often overlooked.
If power failure were to occur, there are two scenarios that would be in play. The first would be to have a backup generator on-site to provide power in the even of a power outage or failure. The second would be to transfer the vaccines to another location that has power. It should be noted that transferring vaccines comes with their own hoops to jump through, as the transportation process is very involved. This includes securing a proper cold box, space required for the amount of vaccine required, number of icepacks required to keep the vaccines at less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the length of time vaccines will be in transit, and how the box will be handled. The vaccines will then have to be carefully unpacked and left in their original packaging, as removing vaccines from the original packaging exposes vaccines to room temperature and light, which can negatively impact potency of the vaccines.
A backup generator can be a robust solution when it comes to safeguarding your storage supplies and maintain operations. Backup generators can provide power for days during extended power outages, depending on the fuel type and configuration of the generator. Backup generators, when paired with an ATS (Automatic Transfer Switch) can prompt the generator to kick in within seconds of power loss due to power outage. When power is restored to the main grid, the ATS will disconnect generator power and reconnect the facility to the main power grid.
When it comes to backup generators for larger facilities, a commercial or industrial grade generator can be installed on-site and can provide backup power almost immediately when a power outage occurs. For smaller facilities that cannot accommodate the installation of a generator on-site can opt to take necessary prerequisite steps to leverage portable generator rentals.
In addition to generators, there are also battery backups or specialized refrigerators available in the market when it comes to ensuring vaccines can remain in temperature controlled environment to avoid the worry of transferring vaccines to another location. The trick is to find a solution that fits your needs.
If you’re interested in learning more about backup generators and the benefits, resources can be found here:
If you’re looking to secure a backup generator for your facility, please reach out to us at Woodstock Power Company.
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