Emergency Flashlights for a hospital...

[Simon520]

Our local hospital has those miserable plug-in Energizer incan flashlights that have a nightlight function and a coin NiMH battery with a few minutes of runtime. Brightness is maybe 10 lumens.

They have been plugged in for a few years and the "batteries" are toast.

Just wondering if any members had ideas for decent replacements. We'd need 20-30 lights. They would need to be the type that plug into a wall socket and stay at full charge. Ideally they'd be LED and have 80 lumens or more with levels. Runtime 2 hours or more.

Doc Simon.

 

[TMedina]

Tough call Doc - Wall rechargeable Emergency light..

It meets your requirements for run time, but no data on lumen output and definitely not a multi-mode.

Good luck.

-Trevor

 

[swsccassidy]

Rather than having the lights stay permanently plugged in, why not place "X" amount of CR123 lights with spare batteries in strategic central positions? The CR123 batteries are good for 10 years and a small light like an itp A1 eos or Quark Mini has 3 modes and can run for considerably longer in the low modes. An itp A1 eos will run you about $25, just as much as one of the "emergency lights" you are looking for. The batteries are more expensive, but again, a 10 year life is attractive even if you have to pay for a new set of batteries and spares every, say, 5 years to be safe.

Another option is to have everyone wear an itp A3 eos or Maratac AAA around their necks on a lanyard or in their pocket. They are light enough to not even notice them and could also double as daily users for pupil dilation, etc. They will also only set you back $20 a piece and will run off of common AAA batteries. Spares would be kept in supply rooms or janitorial closets.

I'm assuming the hospital has an emergency generator that will kick in if the power dies, correct? Shouldn't a few overhead lights be set to regain power from the generator once it kicks on? If so, you should be able to find your way to some sort of wall mounted box or supply room that has the lights stored. I think that placing several CR123 lights in supply rooms or somewhere else easily accessible yet out of the way would be your best bet. Just some food for thought, hope this helps.

 

[ragweed]

I have worked in 3 Hospitals in the past. They all had backup generators for power failure. Each nurse station had at least 4 usable flashlights with extra batteries. Is this a remote hospital in the sticks?

 

[saabgoblin]

I would think that a hospital would be best served by a hazardous location light based on the warning that I have seen in many rooms about ignition sources in relation to oxygen and certain medical equipment. Princeton Tec, Underwater Kinetics, Streamlight, and even the new Surefires are hazardous duty location certified. I could be wrong on the need for a hazardous duty light but to cover all of your bases, I believe that having that option is better than not having the safety rating.

Personally, other than the Surefires, I can't say that those producers make the ultimately brightest lights but for your needs, thy may be more than enough. I have used a regulated output Streamlight Pro Polymer Luxeon and a PT Impact XL and the and the newer versions are rated at around 40 Lumens or so but they are not regulated if that is a concern. Both are decent knock around lights but I am sure that many others may have better suggestions.

 

[Simon520]

I have worked in 3 Hospitals in the past. They all had backup generators for power failure. Each nurse station had at least 4 usable flashlights with extra batteries. Is this a remote hospital in the sticks?

Nope, not remote. Power has never gone out- hence the complacency. We have a huge diesel standby generator, but I would suppose it would take minutes to come on-line.

I was aghast when I saw the insufficient emergency lighting arrangements, frankly. I would like to find out what the options are then present them to the CEO of the hospital so this situation can be rectified. I'm only a doc who sees patients here. I don't own or manage the place!

Re: the use of small lights- they are too small to be inventoried with a tag and would likely walk away. There's no way they are going to buy 123 batteries and inventory them.

I was checking out the Streamlight E-Flood litebox power failure system:

http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=177

Uses a heavy lead acid battery but is lantern sized with 6 "C4" LEDs. Has about 600 lumen high and 300 lumen low output with 8 hours runtime on 600 lumen level, and 18 hours on 300 lumens. This looks to be a great option- I was surprised there's not much on CPF about this new system.

I called Streamlight's customer service and inquired about the "C4" LED. I was told it is their proprietary name for an LED that meets certain performance criteria. They use LEDs from Cree and Luminus (!) and if these lights meet output and color temp requirements, they use them. I read reports from others that the LED appeared to be K2 TFFC's in some, and Cree in others. This would make sense from what the rep told me.

These new heads are not able to be retrofitted to the older incan liteboxes. There are LED driver circuits and other parts that would be needed. The chargers, batteries, and accessories are otherwise all interchangeable.

 

[Dr. J]

Nope, not remote. Power has never gone out- hence the complacency. We have a huge diesel standby generator, but I would suppose it would take minutes to come on-line.

In accordance with JCAHO EC.2.14, testing of emergency power systems is required for certification. In my experience, most facilities that have backup generators will conduct a weekly "engine" test of their emergency generator, and a "load" test (usually simulated, although the more dedicated non-healthcare facilities will just turn off their incoming electrical feeders) once or twice a year. EC.2.14 recommends a monthly test under a simulated 50% load, or 30% of generator capacity.

Typical generator startup times, when automatically initiated by loss of normal power at the Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) are less than 30 seconds, and more usually, half that or better. In addition, many hospitals have, in addition, battery packs on designated egress lights (often those served by emergency power) that will result in immediate low-level lighting in corridors and stairwells, etc.​

I was aghast when I saw the insufficient emergency lighting arrangements, frankly. I would like to find out what the options are then present them to the CEO of the hospital so this situation can be rectified. I'm only a doc who sees patients here. I don't own or manage the place!

I would suggest, before you go through that trouble, that you meet with the Director of Facilities or Director of Engineering, so that you can receive a briefing on the backup systems currently in place. I obviously have no idea if they are there or properly maintained, but you may want to check before you assume...​

Re: the use of small lights- they are too small to be inventoried with a tag and would likely walk away. There's no way they are going to buy 123 batteries and inventory them.

Agreed, but there is nothing stopping the hospital from having sealed emergency management kits, just like mass casualty kits, that contain many flashlights, among other things. They would be inventoried before being placed in service, and then sealed with a single-use serialized shackle that is obviously broken if the container is opened. That way, they can be checked maybe once a year, or less if the documented shelf life of the components is longer than that. JCAHO may have something to say about that too, but I didn't bother to look.​

I carry a flashlight EVERYWHERE, so I am not suggesting that this is a bad idea. I am only suggesting that many of the systems and procedures in place are transparent to you, the clinician, by design. Full-time staff (nurses, etc.) probably receive a more thorough in-briefing on such matters, so you could start by asking them.

Food for thought,
Dr. J

 

[Simon520]

I would suggest, before you go through that trouble, that you meet with the Director of Facilities or Director of Engineering, so that you can receive a briefing on the backup systems currently in place. I obviously have no idea if they are there or properly maintained, but you may want to check before you assume...​

Thanks, Dr. J. I did do a bit of homework before I posted this- The black emergency boxes that are kept in the Emergency Department contain a 2-D cell flashlight that is woefully inadequate. There is no provision for lighting to find one's way to the black boxes in the event of a lighting failure. There are no black emergency boxes on the medical floors or the operating rooms, only the Emergency Department.

I had met yesterday with the facilities and maintenance directors, in addition to the Director of Nursing and the Director of the Emergency Department. None of them could find or direct me to emergency lighting other than the aforementioned defunct flashlights. None of them seem concerned at all and they all appeared to be upset that I was wasting their time asking about flashlights.

Just want to know what other industries or facilities are using for backup lights. I thought there would be a turnkey solution available.

 

[acezone]

where i work about half of the light fittings have a back up battery and when the power does fail the light are powered by this system, they produce about 50% they normally produce on the mains power, also with in the fire exit route all the light along the way have a the back up system all have a status led on them telling you the battery is still charged this is checked once a week and once a month the mains power to the lighting is cut and make sure that the light fire up, This system is very common here in the uk and i would say nearly all builings with a linked fire alarm system have them installed.

 

[sjmack]

For use in a hospital, I can't imagine you would want barn burners putting out 600 lumens. I'd think you want simple single level, floody lights similiar to a 6P and M60F set up. I can't think of anything off of the top of my head that would be cheap and fill that but I'm sure someone could.

 

[Jay R]

I'd get some cheap 99c plastic lights and stick Energizer e2 cells in them. Good for 12+ years and so nasty looking nobody is going to want to run off with them.

 

[Dr. J]

I would suggest, before you go through that trouble, that you meet with the Director of Facilities or Director of Engineering, so that you can receive a briefing on the backup systems currently in place. I obviously have no idea if they are there or properly maintained, but you may want to check before you assume...​

Thanks, Dr. J. I did do a bit of homework before I posted this- The black emergency boxes that are kept in the Emergency Department contain a 2-D cell flashlight that is woefully inadequate. There is no provision for lighting to find one's way to the black boxes in the event of a lighting failure. There are no black emergency boxes on the medical floors or the operating rooms, only the Emergency Department.

I had met yesterday with the facilities and maintenance directors, in addition to the Director of Nursing and the Director of the Emergency Department. None of them could find or direct me to emergency lighting other than the aforementioned defunct flashlights. None of them seem concerned at all and they all appeared to be upset that I was wasting their time asking about flashlights.

Just want to know what other industries or facilities are using for backup lights. I thought there would be a turnkey solution available.

Generally, the turnkey solution has to do with fixed equipment, not portable items that are subject to theft/loss/etc. Are you saying that the directors of facilities and maintenance do not know how long it takes for the generator to start up and assume emergency power loads? That they don't know whether some of the light fixtures have battery backup? In other words, were there to be a power failure, it is possible or likely that it would be pitch black in a corridor with no windows, for more than 5-10 seconds? If that is the case, I submit to you that this facility has bigger problems than a lack of flashlights. The reason that best practices in emergency management discourage reliance on man-portable equipment for other than emergency responders is that such equipment is often not carried or properly maintained for availability when needed.

I'll admit that I remain incredulous, but if this is indeed the case, the quick fix is to install battery backup emergency floodlights in the corridors and to install something like the Streamlight E-flood LiteBoxes at nurses stations, etc., behind the counter where they would remain relatively secure. Every employee could be issued a keychain-type LED light that they would be mandated to have attached to their hospital ID, which I assume that they are required to wear while on premises.

But, as I said, there would be bigger problems at such a facility: how will the anesthesiologist be able to resuscitate in the OR during a power failure? How will the CCU nurses be able to see their telemetry? Will everyone on a ventilator just expire? Will all the elevators just stop? Modern hospitals have dedicated Uninterruptible Power Supplies on their critical loads, backed up by a regularly-tested emergency generator(s) on that and almost all other loads other than convenience outlets and some of the lighting and HVAC.

Something must be missing from this picture?

Dr. J (not a doctor, just a nickname...)
​

 

[PCC]

I work at a fairly large hospital. When I started working there I thought it was funny that they have those cheap plastic 2D flashlights with incan bulbs scattered all over the place. Then I realized that there is a method to the madness: those flashlights are cheap so who would steal them? If they do steal them how much would they lose? Not much. What happens if the cheap alkaline batteries leak inside of one of these cheap flashlights? They discard it and replace it with another cheap flashlight with cheap alkaline batteries. I don't know how many of these flashlights there are scattered around the hospital but I'd guess that there are about 500 of them. Now, I've seen a few Pelican 9430s, too, but these are in areas that will not see any non-staff traffic or are in restricted areas.

WRT to these pathetic (by our standards) 2D incan flashlights I'll just say this: a pathetic 2D flashlight is better than nothing when the lights go out. While we flashaholics will cringe at the thought of using such a beast it is a simple fact that your average Joe (or in this case, your average nurse) won't think one bit about the artifacts or the low output level or the short (by LED standards) run time. They just want to see in the darkness and that's all that matters to them.

 

[TAC1]

Dr.J has the right idea Streamlight LightBox with the power failure switch in secure, critical areas. Either issue keychain lights or keep a cache of cheapos in addition to the SL's to issue out to everyone.