Five Fire Prevention and Response Tips for Hospitals

Fires—despite our best efforts, they can happen anywhere. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do to lessen your risk of a fire, and mitigate the damage if one does occur.

Hospitals are one place that can become extremely vulnerable in the event of a fire or other disaster. After all, hospitals are places for the weak and the sick; having a fire start in a hospital can be a life or death situation, even more so than usual.

As a fire extinguisher service in Lawrenceville, GA, we’d like to offer these fire prevention and response tips for hospitals to follow:

• Prioritize patients: Any workplace will have an evacuation plan in the event of a fire. But hospitals are unique in that they contain many people who are too ill or weak to safely handle their own evacuations. When training staff, make sure your evacuation plan emphasizes patient safety above all else. Patients are especially vulnerable during surgeries, when they might not even be conscious, so keep that in mind as well.
• Keep an eye on labs: Most hospitals have some type of lab where they can process patient tests. These labs are very useful, but in the event of a fire in the hospital, they become incredibly dangerous. This is because the same chemicals you use to diagnose patients can also be highly flammable, meaning they could exacerbate the blaze. Make sure your lab meets safety requirements, and that all chemicals are safely stored at all times.
• Don’t forget the kitchen: Even in hospitals, the room where a fire is most likely to start is the kitchen. Does your hospital have a cafeteria kitchen? If so, do not overlook this important area! Invest in proper fire safety for your kitchen professionals, make sure your hood systems are well maintained and always keep your kitchen fire extinguishers fully charged.
• Have an evacuation plan: Of course, virtually every modern workplace should have an evacuation plan in the event of a fire or other emergency. But hospitals are large, complex buildings with many different departments, and they do not always do a good job of communicating with each other. For this reason, it is especially important that each and every department in your hospital be well versed in its own evacuation plan.
• Enlist an expert: Finally, you really ought to consider hiring a fire security expert to evaluate your hospital and come up with a master fire safety and response plan. These professionals are trained and experienced, so they will notice potential blind spots or problematic areas that you might have missed.

Now that you are acquainted with the basics of hospital fire safety, we hope you will take it upon yourself to do more research into this important area. A good hospital fire safety plan includes many facets, ranging from evacuation plans to fire extinguishers.

If you need additional advice on this topic or require the expertise of a fire extinguisher service in Lawrenceville, GA, we hope you will get in touch with AAA Fire Protection Resources, Inc. today.

Categorised in: Fire Extinguisher Service

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