Digger Cuts Cable to Refrigerated Blood Store
NZ Blood / TS Bishop

GAEL Helps Save the Day

NZ Blood stores critical supplies of blood under carefully controlled refrigerated conditions, with a monitored 24 hour power supply. In the event of a loss of power, the integrity of the blood stock is at risk after only 20 minutes. So, as you would expect, a back-up generator sits in readiness to cope with any power failure.

However, all did not go exactly to plan when a digger operating close by accidentally cut the supply cable causing power failure and a surge to occur. This set in train a sequence of events which rendered the generator change-over inoperable, putting the entire stock of blood at risk.

Quick action from the electrical contractor TS Bishop and GAEL Switchboards resulted in the generator supplying power to the refrigerators within just 20 minutes of the problem happening.

TS Bishop's Danny Collins commented:

"It was after- hours and a real emergency, but the GAEL team responded immediately and got the Switchgear sorted in no time...very impressive".