After confirming the power supply is active and in good condition, the next step is to inspect the battery, as it is the critical component that powers the emergency lights when the main supply fails:Check for Visible Damage: Look for any signs of damage, corrosion, or leakage on the battery. These are clear indicators that the battery needs replacement.
Why do hospitals need emergency power supply testing?
When the monthly emergency power supply system testing program is used together with regular electrical system normal power outages (shutdowns)23, the hospital's entire staf is better trained in emergency management.
For reasons of reliability, a diesel engine prime mover coupled to a 3-phase generator and mounted together as one unit (generator set) is the most common type of emergency power supply in use. A large part of maintenance and operational testing revolves around the diesel-driven generator set ( Photo 1 ).
Emergency power testing programs involve transferring the power sources of operating mechanical, electrical, plumbing, vertical transportation, and clinical systems from normal power to the emergency generators and then back to normal power.
How to test a battery?
Record the voltage under load when the PTT button is pressed. 3. Pay attention that the voltage drop shouldn't exceed 1.5 volts. This test is targeted to measure the capacity of the battery, as it tends to decrease with age. To do this, we should charge the battery to full, then measure its capacity by discharging and applying the known load. NOTE:
The annual capacity test measures the battery capacity in amperes. The battery must be replaced if the capacity is less than 80% of the nominal capacity. It is necessary to check the state of battery charge daily by measuring the specific gravity and electrolyte level. GMDSS batteries: tests and checks.
When the testing process is managed prop-erly and proactively followed through, these disruptions are valuable learning experiences that provide opportunities to improve the hospital infrastructure, hospital operations, and EPSS reliability. Lessons learned from emergency power testing also suggest future system design improvements.