IBEW/NECA Electrical Connection members’ innovative work serves community during pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic weighs on businesses and residents, members of the Electrical Connection, a partnership between IBEW Local 1 and the St. Louis Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), are developing innovative solutions to serve community needs in these challenging times.

PORTABLE STERILIZATION SYSTEM
One example – NECA contractor Guarantee Electrical Company’s recently collaborated with Cocoon Revolution by Thermasi, LLC. to provide a portable high temperature sterilization system to help the community and its workforce.

The Cocoon industrial-sized vault is used to sterilize Guarantee’s tools returning from the field, especially healthcare projects. In addition to heating chambers, the high temperature Thermal Mass furnaces can also be utilized to create high temperature sterilization rooms inside buildings, such as hospitals.

ALTERNATIVE HEALTHCARE FACILITY
Guarantee and its IBEW crew were also part of the team that converted the Quality Inn on Dunn Road in north St. Louis County into an alternative healthcare facility to treat sub-acute COVID-19 patients who need isolation but don’t require intensive care or the attention of specialists at a hospital.

Electrical modifications consisted of temporary power and lighting, testing and replacing any electrical devices that weren’t functioning properly, modifying in-room phone systems and coordinating power with mechanical system modifications to ensure proper air pressure function in the rooms.

Guarantee and its team also powered COVID-19 testing and triage tents for Mercy and St. Luke’s hospitals.

TELEMEDICINE
NECA contractor PayneCrest Electric, Inc. and its IBEW workforce powered the first-of-its-kind Mercy Virtual Care Center in Chesterfield, featuring 75 telemedicine programs staffed by 300 medical professionals.

The four-story, technology-intense facility connects physicians with patients and other doctors 24/7 across the globe with advanced audio/visual systems allowing for virtual communication.

RESEQUENCING WORK
PayneCrest and its service team are also adapting to business needs by carefully resequencing work to save businesses time and money on maintenance while their buildings are idled and largely vacant because of the pandemic.

By diligently following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and managing the safety of its IBEW workforce, PayneCrest is providing needed electrical services in buildings with minimal occupancy. Its strategic resequencing of work efficiently and effectively is allowing the safe completion of projects that might otherwise been delayed.

CLEAN AIR PASSIVE TECNOLOGY
Finally, NECA contractor Primary Systems and its IBEW workforce have teamed up to help hospitals in the area of infection control with the company’s clean air passive technology, which rapidly eliminates 35 common healthcare-associated infection (HAI) pathogens on surfaces including stainless steel, plastic and linoleum floors.

HAIs often prolong hospital stays and can result in long-term disability, increased resistance to antimicrobials, placing a financial burden on healthcare systems, generating high costs for patients and families, and can lead to unnecessary deaths.

THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION
For more than 75 years, the IBEW/NECA Electrical Connection partnership has trained more electricians/communication technicians than any education program in Missouri. Its award-winning work provides safe and reliable electrical construction, maintenance, repair and replacement services across Missouri, the nation and the world. Learn more at electricalconnecton.org.