Franek Technologies supports over 50 laboratories in post-Katrina disease control/DNA analysis, and offers crucial disaster preparedness recommendations
In the wake of hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, Franek Technologies supports dozens of institutions and over 50 laboratories involved in post-disaster analysis and offers disaster preparedness recommendations for laboratories facing future storms.
In the midst of an unprecedented 2005 hurricane season, over 50 laboratories across the USA, from local law enforcement to national government laboratories, are protecting the integrity of their critical DNA, environmental health, and disease control analytical results with customized power protection solutions from Franek Technologies.
As the leader of certified Category III-3 laboratory battery backup power protection systems (LPS/UPS), Franek Technologies's systems are helping researchers maximise performance by allowing researchers to get reliable results around the clock, while minimising the economic hardship to the area by protecting the significant investment in extremely sensitive instrumentation.
Franek Technologies has installed units protecting laboratories at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Center for Disease Control (CDC), Department of Defense (DOD), US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and more.
Local, state, and regional laboratories nationwide are actively involved in post-Katrina, Rita, and Wilma analysis, including DNA identification, water and air quality, biohazard, contamination, and disease control research, to get the areas affected by these storms, with thousands of displaced persons, habitable and operational quickly and safely.
Clean up activities related to returning to homes and businesses after these storms pose significant health and environmental challenges.
With the power protection support of Franek Technologies, the protected laboratories are able to conduct reliable, uninterrupted research and analyses that enable the cities to repopulate as soon as possible.
In addition to supporting the critical research and forensic analysis, Franek Technologies also offers recommendations for any laboratory facing future natural disasters.
In storms with the magnitude comparable to Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, long-term power protection (remaining up and running) isn't viable but laboratory mangers do need to take additional precautions that will safeguard the laboratory and get it back into service once the storm passes.
Facing evacuations and long-term outages, laboratory personnel should shut down analyzers, shut down laboratory power systems, and remove the outlets from the walls and units so that upon start-up, there is no possibility of rebound power surges damaging equipment.
Many laboratories assume that post-storm, their local electrical utility and distribution lines will remain intact, which is often not the case, especially when wind, flooding, and lightning are factors.
Laboratory managers need to implement a second level of protection when facing long-term outages, especially when the power conditions upon start-up are unknown.
"Rebounding power surges pose a serious and costly risk to laboratories following hurricanes and other long-term outages," explains Ray Hecker, vice president of Franek Technologies.
"Many laboratory managers don't realise that they need to literally unplug each instrument and all electrical devices from the wall to prevent severe post-storm transients from causing significant damage upon power restoration.
"We are pleased to be able to support the post-Katrina, Rita, and Wilma hurricane research efforts and offer recommendations, based on our 30+ years of experience, to laboratories facing storms in the future."
