2 minute read
The Paper Chase
from CHF Summer 2021
by MediaEdge
Digitizing old engineering drawings frees up storage, saves valuable time and improves safety
By Tyler Welker
Having instant access to engineering drawings that contain critical building information is essential for the safe and efficient operation of a facility. This may seem like common knowledge; however, the storage and accessibility of these drawings is often neglected.
Many facilities still default to storing hard copy drawings in a distant archives room and rely on the knowledge of a few key team members. Although this may currently be enough to get by, the approach poses many potential issues for the foreseeable future, especially as most staff now work remotely due to the pandemic, some of which will soon retire.
Hard copy drawings are also only worth the paper they are printed on. They are vulnerable to being lost, ripped, folded, crumpled and spilled on. Often stored for countless years in rolls, boxes, hanging racks and drawers in an archives room, they are left to deteriorate and become hard to read over time. What’s more, these rooms are susceptible to accidents like fires and floods. An entire drawings archive room can be damaged beyond repair if a sprinkler is activated in that location.
As engineers and architects will attest, these drawings are invaluable and the price to replace them is far more. Implementing a digital image backup ensures they are always top quality and protected.
CASE IN POINT
Hospitals are continuously undergoing renovations to accommodate growing communities and provide state-of-the-art patient care. The process has become increasingly difficult to manage as most contain a mix of old and new systems.
Depending on the age of the facility, some hospitals have undertaken hundreds of projects over the years, varying in type and size from the installation of new ventilation systems to lighting efficiency retrofits to door security lock upgrades. Each project has its own set of drawings that are added to the ever-expanding archives room. These drawings often need to be referenced for the planning of new projects, repairs or replacement work, and any general maintenance requests.
Facility managers are tasked with tracking down the right drawings, which generally becomes a job in and of itself. This can add countless hours to a project and hinder the overall efficiency of the maintenance department. It can also cause unnecessary communication issues, especially between staff on opposite shifts.
Digitizing all drawings enables staff to instantly access important building information. It also helps current facility managers share knowledge acquired about the facility with the next generation coming into the field.
The most critical need for digitized engineering drawings is the added safety it provides in the event of an emergency. Every second counts when there’s a fire, flood, security breach or gas leak. Being able to quickly and easily locate emergency exit plans, power distribution systems, shut-off valves and other life-saving information is imperative. Events such as these can result in tremendous damage, causing entire departments to be shut down that subsequently puts patients in those areas in danger.
