Core Issues Regarding Fire Risk Management and Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Strategies in Medical Institutions

Abstract

<p>醫療院所不同於一般公眾使用場所，各樓層空間存在不同醫療使用目的，亦需因應醫療需求規劃空間，尤其近年受COVID-19衝擊，使醫院火災風險及防減災策略面臨挑戰與轉變。由醫院火災災例中可知，硬體設備防護能有效簡化緊急應變作為，但醫院建築硬體安全性仍需與相關人員之減災、應變管理結合，以醫療品質與病人安全為目標，強化防減災邏輯思維，提升醫院整體火災安全。亦應由評鑑制度導引強化醫院火災安全、落實查核並搭配符合特性需求之策略，並重視醫院各級單位及部門間橫向與縱向之火災風險管理與溝通，形成合理可行之防減災應變策略。</p> <p> </p><p>Medical institutions differ from spaces for general public use. Each floor of a medical institution serves different purposes in medical application. Thus, spatial planning according to medical needs is necessary. The outbreak of COVID-19 in recent years subjects the fire risks and disaster prevention and mitigation strategies of hospitals to challenges and changes. According to cases of hospital fire in the past, protection of hardware equipment can effectively simplify emergency response actions. Nevertheless, the hardware security of hospital buildings still requires integration with disaster reduction and response management of relevant personnel to prioritize healthcare quality and patient safety, strengthen disaster prevention and mitigation process design, and improve the overall fire safety of a hospital. An accreditation system should be introduced to strengthen a hospital’s fire safety precautions, conduct thorough inspections, and develop strategies meeting specific needs. Moreover, attention should be paid to horizontal and vertical fire risk management and communication between units and departments at all levels of a hospital, thereby forming reasonable and feasible disaster prevention and mitigation strategies.</p> <p> </p>