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16 - Hosing down the oxygen supply
Hospitals store oxygen as a pressurised liquid in large Vacuum Insulated Evaporators (VIEs). As the oxygen vaporises into its gaseous form to be piped around the hospital a process known as adiabitic cooling takes place. This cooling can result in the build up of large amounts of frost on the pipes leading away from the VIE. Left unchecked the extra weight of the frost can cause the pipes to bend and develop leaks compromising the supply of this vital drug. Unbeknown to most in the hospital, maintenance staff like Greg Sweeting, pictured here, hose off the frost from the pipes on a daily basis to ensure the oxygen keeps flowing.
A number of hospitals were forced to declare major incidents during the first wave because of the very real risk that they were going to run out of oxygen. Beyond these headline grabbing events, unknown and unrecognised staff like Greg worked tirelessly in the background to ensure that critically ill patients could continue to be given the care that they needed.
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