subject: Emergency Boiler Hire For Prisons What Is Involved [print this page] There are currently 133 prisons in England and Wales, reports the National Offenders Management Service (NOMS). All UK prisons (from high security to open prisons), young offender institutions, detention centres, secure hospitals and other such facilities rely on fixed, on-site boilers for heat and hot water (boilers are usually located in the plant room). Sometimes, temporary boilers are used to help maintain year-round heating and hot water provision.
How Prisons Differ From Care Homes, Hospitals, etc.
Unlike at care homes, nursing homes, and public hospitals, prison staff rarely have the option
to relocate people to another facility should their boiler fail, require maintenance, or be due
for a service. It is vital, therefore, that the prison heat and hot water supply is managed well.
Formulating a contingency plan (that includes a site survey) with a boiler hire specialist with
experience in supplying hired boilers for prisons can offer prison staff peace of mind if their boiler suddenly fails, a boiler rental specialist can have a temporary boiler on site and up-and-running in a matter of hours.
All Prison Staff Have a Duty of Care
The Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (according to the United Nations
Commissioner for Human Rights) states the following concerning prisoner accommodation:
All accommodation provided for the use of prisoners, and in particular all sleeping accommodation, shall meet all requirements of health, with due regard being paid to climatic conditions.
Adequate bathing and shower installations shall be provided so that every prisoner may be enabled and required to have a bath or shower, at a temperature suitable to the climate.
And also in the realm of Personal Hygiene:
Prisoners shall be provided with water for health and cleanliness.
In order that prisoners may maintain a good appearance compatible with their self-respect, facilities shall be provided for the proper care of the hair and beard, and men shall be enabled to shave regularly.
Prison clothing and bedding, etc. also needs to be regularly washed, of course; making the well-managed, regular supply of hot water in prisons essential.
About Recommended Temperatures for Prison Cells
In UK prisons, frequently, the heating will be supplied by a conventional wet heating system,
comprising of radiators served by central boiler plant. The Chartered Institution of Building
Services Engineers recommends the temperature for prison cells should be in the range of 19C to 21C. General areas of a prison will usually be designed to similar temperature set points, accordingly to Jaga.co.uk.
Security Must Always be Maintained
The main issue for any type of company working within a prison environment is security with
regard to: 1) access for personnel, and 2) ensuring the products are secure (note: all equipment must be security checked before being taken inside).
Individual prisons set security clearance levels specific to their facility, and, when it comes to
services to the prison being provided from an outside source, all security aspects must be booked well in advance.
How a Boiler Specialist Will Approach the Job
In response to an emergency call-out to a prison, a boiler rental specialist team would normally work in conjunction with either the prison management itself or a facilities management company that is based on site or contracted to work there.
Actually installing and making operational a provisional boiler at a prison is a reasonably
straightforward procedure: it is usually the setting itself that can cause problems. The boiler expert will have to take extra measures, such as:
Arranging for the boiler (and ancillary equipment) to be delivered on a truck with a crane arm to get it to the right location on site. (However, sometimes prisons insist that the boiler be delivered outside. Rails are then used to put it into position.)
Giving careful consideration to where the boiler will best be positioned (it could be used by prisoners to scale fences, perimeter walls, or windows)
Adding barbed wire to the top of the boiler, if it is a semi-permanent unit
Housing the boiler inside a solid steel lockable container that can only be opened by industrial tools (to ensure the prisoners cannot tamper with equipment)
Quickly sourcing adequate power (so that heat and hot water can be restored as soon as possible), whilst not compromising safety. Most boilers require a 3-phase power supply, which is not always available in plant rooms
About Temporarily Held Prisoners Rights
Finally, it should be noted that an arrested individual is not immediately sent to prison; he/she
could be temporarily held in a cell at a police station, airport, ferry port, law court (or other), prior to appearing before a judge there too heat and hot water must be provided. It is therefore prudent for those responsible for boiler management at these premises to also formulate a contingency plan with a boiler hire specialist. They will then be properly prepared in the event of a sudden boiler breakdown.
