A hospital is one of the most important structures in a community. Without the services that the medical professionals at a hospital provide, a community would quickly crumble. While the surgeons, doctors, nurses and all other staff are the heart of a hospital, these professionals would not be able to provide many services if they did not have certain utilities.

Heat, hot water and steam are exceptionally vital to a hospital, and all of these things are generally powered by boilers. However, what happens in the event of an emergency? What would a hospital do if there was a critical malfunction, a natural disaster or if the boilers completely failed?

If you are considering a career as a hospital engineer, it is crucial that you understand the effects that issues with boilers could have on the entire facility and how to handle this type of emergency situation.

Why Boilers are So Important in Hospitals

Just like in a home, a boiler is used to create heat, hot water and steam for a hospital. These three things are exceptionally important in a hospital. Heat is vital for keeping patients comfortable and healthy; hot water is used for washing linens, cleaning and preparing hospital staff to work with patients. Steam is used to sterilize equipment and humidify the air.

In the event that a hospital's boiler system fails, heat, hot water and steam would not be available, which could put patients in danger. If boilers aren't running and these elements aren't available for a prolonged period of time, it is likely that a hospital would have to be evacuated – which could put the patients in even more danger.

What to do in an Emergency

If you are working as an engineer in a hospital, it is your job to ensure that all systems are working properly. Should a malfunction, a failure, a natural disaster or any other emergency occur that causes the boiler system to cease, quick action needs to be taken to restore heat, hot water and steam.

Repairing a problem with the boiler system could be something as simple as having to reignite the flames that power the boilers. However, if the problem with the boiler is so severe that it cannot be repaired in a steadfast manner, you may need to make arrangements for a temporary boiler rental. By renting a boiler, the hospital would be able to remain operable while the issue with the system is repaired.

Since a boiler system is such an important part of a hospital, if you are a hospital engineer, it is vital that you know how to handle an emergency situation with the system. Having an action plan in place should an issue arise, including having the contact information for a temporary boiler rental service, could make all the difference in the world to patients in the hospital.