This makes it essential that the heating and hot water provision at prisons is managed well, and that on-site boilers are fully operational at all times.

The reality is that any boiler can suddenly develop a fault or even fail altogether. Hiring a boiler from a boiler hire specialist can prove the ideal alternative. Boiler rental is also the preferred option for UK prison governors when the boiler at their prison needs to be serviced, or during periods of routine maintenance.

How British prisons differ from American jails

There are currently 133 prisons in England and Wales according to the National Offender Management Service. Most of these are much smaller than those found across the USA, which can be huge, and therefore run on bigger budgets with more staff and resources made available.

Most, if not all, British prison governors would welcome the option (that their counterparts in the USA often enjoy) of transferring inmates to another prison when required.

In January 2010, the freezing weather forced Alabama Corrections officials to temporarily relocate 650 inmates out of a state prison in Union Springs, because of heating problems. Prisoners were sent to a private prison and the county jail in Perry County and Montgomery until the boiler in Union Springs could be repaired.

In contrast, closer to home, when a boiler failed at a prison in the East Midlands in February 2009, it was only the rapid response to an emergency call-out by a specialist boiler hire company that saved the day for prison officials. The boiler rental team were on site quickly and had a temporary boiler unit in place and up-and-running to the required capacity (and with no disruption to prison services) within a matter of hours of receiving the emergency call.

All prisons have a ‘duty of care’

In UK prisons, a duty of care/minimum standard has to be provided for offenders when it comes to things such as adequate washing facilities, and the due regard that needs to be paid to climatic conditions within prison buildings.

The Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights) states the following regarding prisoner accommodation:

● "All accommodation provided for the use of prisoners, and in particular all sleeping accommodation, shall meet all requirements of health, with due regard being paid to climatic conditions."

● "Adequate bathing and shower installations shall be provided so that every prisoner may be enabled and required to have a bath or shower, at a temperature suitable to the climate."

And in the realm of Personal Hygiene:

● "Prisoners shall be provided with water for health and cleanliness".

● In order that prisoners may maintain a good appearance compatible with their self-respect, facilities shall be provided for the proper care of the hair and beard, and men shall be enabled to shave regularly."

Prison clothing and bedding, etc. also needs to be regularly washed, of course; making the well-managed, regular supply of hot water and heat in UK prisons essential.

About recommended temperatures for prison cells

In UK prisons, frequently, the heating will be supplied by a conventional ‘wet’ heating system, comprising of radiators served by a central boiler plant. The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers recommends the temperature for prison cells should be in the range of 19°C to 21°C.

Why contingency planning is the answer

With a carefully formulated contingency plan in place, prison officials can enjoy peace of mind knowing that if the unthinkable happens, and there is a fixed boiler system failure at any time, a specialist boiler rental company that operates a 24/7, all-year-round call-out service are always only a phone call away.

A contingency plan would be put in place following a full site survey at the prison, enabling the boiler hire specialist to assess the site and recommend suitable temporary equipment. This would include assessing power supplies, demand for hot water and heating, size of the premises and number of inmates as well as logistical and safety issues. Once a contingency plan is signed, the boiler hire specialist will always hold equipment for that client, so they can rest assured that their setting will always only be a few hours away from restoring a normal hot water and heating service, should they experience boiler failure.

Prisons are a very specific type of environment so it pays to ensure that the external boiler hire company have had experience in working in this setting before contracting them to provide a contingency plan.