Progressive horizontal evacuation

[Mushy]

Hi

I know this should be in Healthcare but I have posted a few threads there with no reply...tumbleweed is blowing through it

I have recently taken over as fire safety advisor for a average sized hospital (4 floors) At present there is mandatory fire safety training by means of a presentation and practical extinguisher use. The presentation includes 'progressive horizontal evacuation' ie getting patients from the compartment of  fire origin to a 'safe' compartment by moving them sideways behind 60 minute fire doors (maybe into the next ward or further)

Now, the policy at present is just for horizontal evacuation and not vertically down the stairs (there are no dedicated escape lifts)

I'm considering changing this policy and was contemplating evac chairs. Although the hospital is fairly modern with sound compartmentation, if there was a bomb threat then the patients would have to be evacuated outside.

What do the forum members think?

Cheers

[FSO]

What sort of numbers are we talking?

[kurnal]

There should always be a contingency plan with a number of stages for evacuation for a range of forseeable scenarios. How far you need to go in general staff training is another matter.

General basic fire safety awareness training for ward staff need not go beyond what would be expected of them in the early stages of an emergency, ie the stage 1- evacuation of the zone involved to a place of relative safety, the location of which will be determined by the level of compartmentation etc. But there should aloways be plans for stage 2 and 3 even if these are initiated and implemented by others.

[Colin Newman]

It is possible that vertical evacuation will be necessary and even as an initial evacuation stage for some patients, dependent upon the configuration of the accommodation and the location of the fire, so it may well be necessary to include vertical evacuation in staff training.  Even where the configuration of the accommodation is such that horizontal evacuation is always available as the first and possibly subsequent moves, there must come a point at which there is no option but to evacuate patients vertically (unless the building is infinite).  So again staff training should include vertical evacuation.

Whether vertical evacuation utiising evac chairs is appropriate will depend largely upon the clinical condition and dependency of the patients needing to be evacuated (you wouldn't want to evacuate some orthopaedic patients on evac chairs especially if they have spinal injuries).  Have a chat with the nursing staff and clinincal teams, they'll be best placed to advise on what evacuation aids are most suitable.  I've always found the best approach to set the nursing staff the challenge of determining how best to evacuate the patients they are charged with looking after.

[jokar]

The use of evac chairs is problematical as you may only be able to use one chair on one occasion.  The other problem is what you do with the patient in the chair once outside, you will have to consider how you keep them warm, comfortable and mobile.

[wee brian]

Mushy

There are a couple of organisations for Hospital fire bods. Join them.

I say this beacause you will be dealing with a lot of stuff that doesnt really come up anywhere else.

I met the Bloke from the Royal Marsden - he was pretty keen.

There are dofferent techniques for different patients, evac chairs are going to be of limited value as you will need loads of them.

[Mushy]

Thanks all

Colin

The hospital is of modern construction and is designed with Hospital Streets. There is no patient area (or anywhere else in the main hospital for that matter) that has a 'dead end' situation. Evacuation is always possible horizontally and if need be keep going! The compartments are 60 minutes between wards

As I said,  vertical evacuation is being considered. I think evac chairs are an option but not the answer.

[Roy]

You could consider the use of the lifts for vertical evacuation even if they are not escape lifts. Depending on the location of the fire there may be several compartments between the fire and the lift providing adequate time and protection for the lift to be use. Generally hospital lifts are contected to the stand by generates adding resiliance to the there use in an emergency.

Even if you don't think the using lifts in a fire is suitable in this case, the use of lifts in a non-fire emergency, e.g. a bomb threat, should be considered as there is no greater threat to occupant safety in a lift as there would be in a stairwell or left on the upper floors. In such a situation speed of evaucation maybe the key factor, specially if a warning is given.

[CivvyFSO]

See BD2466 from www.communities.gov.uk regarding the use of lifts etc for escape purposes.

[wee brian]

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/guidanceemergencylifts