Analysis of Fire Protection Facilities in Hospital Buildings

Abstract

Hospitals are considered to be safer places where injuries are treated rather than generated. Even though hospitals follow safety measures and monitor the reports of accidents happened, there is always a boundless chance for a new accident to happen because hospital environment is charged with compound inherent risks. Apart from risks, hospitals are a combination of numerous hazards in different parts of the building like biological, chemical, physical, and fire hazards [1]. There have been major incidents in hospitals reported in the past, including the fire accident that occurred in AMRI, a hospital located in Kolkata, which killed almost 90 people in the year 2012 [2]. It is one of the recent accidents happened in hospitals in India. In the morning of May 15th, 1929 Cleveland hospital in USA encountered a massive fire accident followed by poisonous gas release from burning nitrocellulose X-ray film ignited by a nearby light bulb [3]. Around 125 people died in this disaster since there was no proper evacuation strategy and lack of fire protection systems. Fire accidents taking place in hospitals are not easily controllable, and casualties are more because the evacuating techniques are typically diverse as most of the patients cannot move out by themselves. And if the accident happens nearby anesthesia care [4] or intensive care, patients inside the wards may not be aware of fire and could not respond properly to call for help. This is why a fire accident is always very precarious in a hospital. This paper emphasizes about the hazards associated with fire in the hospital environment, proper evacuation in case of fire, and appropriate fire fighting equipment. Evacuation plan and fire extinguishing equipment should be easily approachable, readily usable, and maintained properly in regular intervals, and competent persons in evacuation techniques should be available. The constructions of buildings also play a significant role in case of evacuation. Proper guidelines followed during the construction of a hospital building can also help in avoiding various hazards which may turn into disasters. The aim of this paper is to identify hazards and provide long-term and short-term control measures to deliver safety for the staff members and the patients who have the right to be treated with dignity and also protect them during any unexpected situations.