The City of New Orleans has addressed issues surrounding the recent HVAC outages at the Coroner's Office. A notice published yesterday confirmed that the city was quick to respond to the outages, stating that the primary HVAC unit is currently operating at half capacity after experiencing a power surge that damaged several control boards. According to the statement on the city's official website, the necessary parts for repair were received and the system is expected to be fully repaired by tomorrow.
The initial outage, caused by a communication failure with the Building Automation System, was detected and resolved on July 5. However, the subsequent outage that occurred on July 10 required contractors to work over the weekend. The city reassured the public that, despite the Primary HVAC system issues, the Secondary HVAC unit servicing the autopsy room remained functional, "and the current autopsy room temperature is 72 degrees, which is within the designed specifications for the facility as per the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 170," as noted in the City of New Orleans statement.
ASHRAE Standard 170 provides clear guidelines for the operation of facilities like the Coroner's Office, setting the acceptable temperature range for autopsy rooms at 68 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The city's prompt issuance of a statement and detailed account of the actions taken reflect an attempt to maintain transparency and assure the proper handling, of such sensitive operations within the Coroner's Office.
As the repair of the Primary HVAC unit reaches completion, the New Orleans Coroner's Office emphasizes the uninterrupted service of the Secondary unit — ensuring that the autopsies continue in an environment that meets industry standards.
