
Health
care workers need to be aware of the safety risks present in their daily
routine, and how they can mitigate those risks with fire safety best practices.
Fire safety in the health care industry is different than fire safety in other
industries, but everyone needs to know what to do if a fire occurs around them.
Fortunately, there are several things everyone in the health care industry can
do to be safe during fires and reduce the risk of injuries or deaths resulting
from fires in these locations. Here are five ways to be safe during a fire in
the health care industry.
Fire Drills
Scheduling
regular fire drills is important to ensure that everyone knows what to do if
there’s a real emergency. It also helps keep everyone aware of their role, both
professionally and personally. For example, staff can practice evacuating
patients out of harm’s way, using powder fire extinguisher and
firefighters can strategise how best to put out a specific blaze.
Smoke Alarms
The
most common cause of death from fires is due to smoke and carbon monoxide
inhalation. Install smoke alarms outside sleeping areas and on every level of
your hospital. Test them regularly (at least once a month). For best results,
change batteries at least once per year. Never paint or cover over a
functioning smoke alarm; doing so will prevent it from detecting any smoke or
fire inside your home.
Notify Staff about
Emergencies
When
an emergency strikes, your first step should always be to protect yourself and
others. For example, if there’s a fire, leave any patients behind and get out
of harm’s way. Make sure that all employees have an emergency evacuation plan
that includes escape routes, staging areas and a meeting point where everyone
can gather after evacuating. The best part about these plans is that they don’t
cost anything or take much time to create.
Evacuate According To
Plan
It
may not always seem like it, but you probably have a well-developed evacuation
plan for your workplace. Make sure that all of your workers know what to do in
case of an emergency by organising practice evacuations. Also make sure that
everyone knows where and how they should meet up after an evacuation.
Fire Extinguishers
They
might not seem like it, but even health-care facilities need full-on fire
extinguishers. The Labour’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) requires that, when dealing with materials that may catch on fire, you
must have at least one Class B extinguisher (for combustible liquids) on hand
at all times. Get help from a company that’s manufacturing fire extinguisher to find the best equipment to your facility. Look for a
company that deals with wholesale
fire equipment that’s reputed and in the industry
for several years.
Fire extinguishers are the life savers, regardless of the industry! Make sure to find the right one based on your needs.

