GBGH upgrades cooling system for patient and team safety and comfort this summer
Members of the Facilities team at Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) with the members of the project contractors NuTemp Mechanical, celebrate the completion of a major infrastructure renewal project in front of the new cooling towers located next to the hospital’s boiler plant and Emergency Department (ED) ambulance bay.
May 20, 2021 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) has recently completed major upgrades to its cooling system to ensure patient and team safety and comfort throughout the hospital. GBGH was able to complete this important project, which included replacing the existing chiller and cooling tower with two new chillers and two new cooling towers, over several months in time for rising temperatures this summer. The upgrade was possible due to provincial funding from the Hospital Infrastructure Renewal Fund, which is allocated to replace aging infrastructure in Ontario hospitals.
The two new units, now operational, will provide the hospital with a back-up chiller in the event of a future breakdown, allow for future infrastructure growth and enhance the patient experience during the summer months by providing reliability and better temperature/humidity control.
“During the cooling seasons, it’s important that we are able to reliably control temperature and humidity levels throughout the hospital,” says Nicholas Boudreau, manager, Facilities & Security, GBGH. “Air regulation in healthcare settings is an essential part in providing safe care, as efficient air regulation is critical for reducing the risk of airborne infection. Effective humidity control is also critical to maintaining sterilization of medical devices and tools.”
The expected lifespan of the new system is 15 to 20 years. The previous chiller and cooling tower were 20 years of age and in need of replacement for reliability and efficiency reasons. The old cooling tower was also located on the roof of GBGH and the two new towers are now located on specially engineered platforms outside the hospital’s boiler plant and Emergency department.
Contact:
Jennifer Moore
Communications Officer, GBGH
705-526-1300 ext 5177