BUILDING – FROM THE GROUND UP HOSPITAL ENGINEERING INVOLVEMENT IN PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

WHY DO HOSPITAL ENGINEERS NEED TO BE INVOLVED Specialist and complex nature of health facility engineering Need for ownership of the new facility Need for expert input into developing design solutions Need for expert input into defects inspections Need for expert input into acceptance testing and commissioning.

WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THE INVOLVEMENT Technical advice (specialist briefing, infrastructure / facility interfacing, etc.) Quality management (acceptance testing, commissioning testing, handover documentation Education and training of engineering staff Liaison (arranging shutdowns of services, connection of temporary services)

WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THE INVOLVEMENT (CONT’D) Maintenance planning Handover planning Commissioning planning Post-handover contract management Post- contract Facility Management

HOW CAN THE INVOLVEMENT BE ACHIEVED Hospital Engineer needs the right attitude, skills and experience (credibility) Hospital Engineer needs to be prepared (familiarise himself with brief, specifications, documentation, BCA) Hospital Engineer needs to be taken off- line (dedicated full-time to the project) and his position back-filled

WHO SHOULD BE INVOLVED Member of the engineering staff at the level of Deputy or Assistant Engineer, howsoever styled Must have the qualities stated earlier: team player, cooperative attitude, appropriate skills and experience Must be willing to make a commitment for the life of the project

CONCLUSIONS Appropriate involvement of the Hospital Engineer in capital health facilities developments will result in the achievement of optimum quality, efficiency and maintainability of engineering services It will create a much improved level of ownership of the new facility It will create new career paths for hospital engineers INVOLVEMENT CREATES OBLIGATIONS!