South East Sydney: Health Centres Fire Protection
Managing health care centres comes with an important responsibility of keeping patients safe. Along with providing competent doctors and nurses to administer excellent healthcare, an efficient and effective fire safety plan and evacuation procedure in case of an emergency should be established. Health Centres have more challenging fire safety and protection needs than other commercial buildings.
There will be patients who are unable to walk and others that depend on life support system that can't be removed without risking their lives. This is one of the most problematic cases in evacuating which is a pressing concern in preparing a fire protection plan for health centres. Continue reading to know more about the importance of South East Sydney: Fire Safety medical centres.
Be aware of the Fire Risks in Health Centres
The first step in preparing South East Sydney: Health Centres Fire Protection Plan is knowing the possible source and cause of fire ignition. For example, the cooking equipment in the kitchen hospital is one of the most common causes of hospital fire. Thus, appropriate fire safety measures should be strictly followed and adequate fire protection equipment should be installed accordingly.
Thanks to the strict fire codes of the Australian government for the fire safety of health centres, fire incidents are contained to a small area of the building; property damage and deaths have significantly reduced. It is important that the fire risk assessment should be carried out regularly, so the fire safety and protection plan can be optimized.
The Importance of Fire Protection Equipment
After a thorough risk assessment, fire protection equipment should be installed in accordance with the results to minimize the risk and hazards. These equipment ensures that there is immediate action to extinguish the fire and everyone is safely evacuated. However, these equipment must be regularly inspected and maintained to guarantee that they are in good working condition when needed. Here are some of the most common fire safety equipment in a healthcare facility:- Fire Alarms
- Fire Sprinkler Systems
- Portable Fire Extinguishers
- Commercial Kitchen Fire Suppression Systems
- Emergency Exit Lighting and Signs
- Fire Hydrant
- Other Portable Equipment (fire blankets, fire hose reel, etc.)
Healthcare Fire Safety Plan
The installation of fire protection equipment should come with a proper fire safety plan to achieve its maximum effectiveness.
- Create an evacuation plan. This should outline emergency evacuation procedures and methods for escorting and carrying patients to safety. The plan should also include protocols for activating the nearest pull station, extinguishing flames with the fire extinguisher, closing doors to contain the fire before it develops, and evacuating to a safe gathering point outside the facility. The staff members should know these and be able to implement the plan effectively.
- Knowledge saves lives. It is important the healthcare staff members are well aware of handling fire fighting equipment such as fire extinguishers. FCF offers Sydney workplace fire training including fire extinguisher training for groups and individuals. Training should be provided to new staff members and repeated at least once a year to ensure that everyone can confidently use the equipment and execute fire safety protocols.