Fire_electrical_safety community 08.ppt

Editor's Notes

• #1: Hello and Welcome to the fire and electrical safety portion of your community wide student orientation. The objective of this inservice is to provide you with a basic understanding of safety issues with fire and electricity related to the hospital setting and what your role is.
• #2: For fire to burn, it requires three elements, fuel, heat, and oxygen. If one of these elements is missing then fire will not burn. Many laws and policies have been implemented to ensure the safety of patients in relation to fires and fire hazards. One of these laws was that all healthcare facilities are non-smoking. Healthcare facilities normally have a ready supply of oxygen and numerous combustibles. By removing a common source of heat for a fire (the lit cigarette) a major player in the big three is missing. But there are other sources of heat for fires and this requires the healthcare facility to have a plan of action in the event that all three elements collide.
• #3: Part of the plan is based on preparation for a fire. You should always know the location of fire extinguishers and exits and make sure they are accessible. While you are in our facilities, you are not a bystander, you can move equipment blocking doors and exits and report problems to your preceptor or the charge nurse. Patient safety is everyone's responsibility.
• #4: Have you ever stayed at a hotel? If so. did you ever take the time to look at the evacuation plan posted on the inside of the room door? Think about the following, you are in a new city for a conference. It is 3am and you are awakened from a sound sleep to hear this loud whistling sound or horn blaring. As you begin to wake up you smell smoke and suddenly you are no longer sleepy. You run to the door, feel it for heat and open it. The hallway is full of thick black smoke, and it invades your room and your lungs, choking you. You fall to the floor and start to crawl forward looking for the exit signs. Only you can not see them and you do not know where the stairs are. And you think to your self ....... your alarm rings and you wake up, it was only a dream. But it could happen. Always be prepared, know your role in the event of a facility fire and take an active part.
• #5: Have you ever stayed at a hotel? If so. did you ever take the time to look at the evacuation plan posted on the inside of the room door? Think about the following, you are in a new city for a conference. It is 3am and you are awakened from a sound sleep to hear this loud whistling sound or horn blaring. As you begin to wake up you smell smoke and suddenly you are no longer sleepy. You run to the door, feel it for heat and open it. The hallway is full of thick black smoke, and it invades your room and your lungs, choking you. You fall to the floor and start to crawl forward looking for the exit signs. Only you can not see them and you do not know where the stairs are. And you think to your self ....... your alarm rings and you wake up, it was only a dream. But it could happen. Always be prepared, know your role in the event of a facility fire and take an active part.
• #6: Have you ever stayed at a hotel? If so. did you ever take the time to look at the evacuation plan posted on the inside of the room door? Think about the following, you are in a new city for a conference. It is 3am and you are awakened from a sound sleep to hear this loud whistling sound or horn blaring. As you begin to wake up you smell smoke and suddenly you are no longer sleepy. You run to the door, feel it for heat and open it. The hallway is full of thick black smoke, and it invades your room and your lungs, choking you. You fall to the floor and start to crawl forward looking for the exit signs. Only you can not see them and you do not know where the stairs are. And you think to your self ....... your alarm rings and you wake up, it was only a dream. But it could happen. Always be prepared, know your role in the event of a facility fire and take an active part.
• #7: Remember to stay calm, the patients will look to the staff and you to know what is going on. If you remain calm they will be less likely to break into hysterics. It will be all about your bearing and demeanor in an emergency situation.
• #8: Remember RACE but also know that the E may be for extinguish or evacuate. Do not try to extinguish a fire that is more than you can easily contain, that is what the professionals are for.
• #9: For fire extinguishers, the pin needs to be pulled to be able to activate the handle. If you are holding the fire extinguisher by the handle you are pressing the handle against the pin and it will be “pinned “ in place. Place the fire extinguisher on the ground, steady it from the top and pull the pin. After the pin is freed, lift the fire extinguisher and go through the steps of P.A.S.S.
• #10: Fire extinguishers come in different classes which match the different classes of fires. Due to the multiple combustibles in the healthcare environment, they utilize a multiclass fire extinguisher, or what is termed an ABC class extinguisher. This fire extinguisher may be utilized on all classes of fire and takes the guess work out of which on to use on what combustible element
• #11: Like was mentioned before, actively participate in fire drills, use them as a learning experience. Assist with pulling doors shut and ensuring patients and visitors remain in their rooms. The corridor fire doors and the room doors are all rated for a particular time frame that it will take a fire to burn through them. This is why it is important to ensure that the fire doors in the corridors are free to close and that patients and visitors remain in their rooms with the doors closed. This provides them an added barrier between them and the fire, and also greater time for the fire department to respond and contain without loss of life.
• #12: Like was mentioned before, actively participate in fire drills, use them as a learning experience. Assist with pulling doors shut and ensuring patients and visitors remain in their rooms. The corridor fire doors and the room doors are all rated for a particular time frame that it will take a fire to burn through them. This is why it is important to ensure that the fire doors in the corridors are free to close and that patients and visitors remain in their rooms with the doors closed. This provides them an added barrier between them and the fire, and also greater time for the fire department to respond and contain without loss of life.
• #15: Electricity is one of those things we usually take for granted. We flip a switch and the lights come on, set the timer and our popcorn pops. We rarely think about the dangers and need for safety other than ensuring our kids do not stick forks in outlets. But there are other hazards and they are easy to remember with a little common sense.
• #17: This is the reasoning behind birds on high voltage wires and why they do not fry. Since the bird is only on the wire there is no conduction between ground or other live conductors. However, if I go to trim my trees and touch the wires or place my ladder on the wires, I have bridged the gap between the live conductor and the ground. Current flows from the line through my body and gets discharged into the ground. That is a big OUCH!
• #18: This is the reasoning behind birds on high voltage wires and why they do not fry. Since the bird is only on the wire there is no conduction between ground or other live conductors. However, if I go to trim my trees and touch the wires or place my ladder on the wires, I have bridged the gap between the live conductor and the ground. Current flows from the line through my body and gets discharged into the ground. That is a big OUCH!
• #19: A good example of static electricity is the balloon in the hair trick. My younger son has medium length hair. When I rub a balloon on his head his hair starts to stand up. He is now “charged” with static electricity. He then does his part to discharge that electricity by touching me, his brother, the cat, the dog, whatever is near. This discharge of static electricity is what causes the mild shock he thinks is so funny. He is the live condutor and whatever he touches ends up being his conducting object bridging the gap between him and ground.
• #21: When we cardiovert, the desire is to stop the heart so the normal pacemaker can take over with a regular rhythm. To do this we discharge energy across their body with two paddles.The body between the paddles is the conducting object. Most household current is 110 volts or 220 volts. By touching a live wire and standing on the ground the same scenario can occur and the heart can stop.
• #23: You can find GFCIs in what electricians call “wet” areas such as the bathroom and kitchen. GFCIs are normally used for outside wiring outlets also.
• #24: You can find GFCIs in what electricians call “wet” areas such as the bathroom and kitchen. GFCIs are normally used for outside wiring outlets also.
• #29: Critical care areas have an abundance of red outlets due to the critical nature of the devices they run. They will also normally be the areas with lighting during a power outage.
• #30: Just to recap,fire requires three elements. Heat source, fuel and oxygen. When one is absent, there can be no fire. It is important to take an active part in fire drills so that you are aware of what your role is in the event of a fire. Remember R.A.C.E. and P.A.S.S. Electricity is a convenient source of energy but should not be taken for granted. It has a current that can be measured and if not respected can kill. The human body has the ability to conduct electricity and serves as the conducting object when an individual touches a live circuit. All patient electrical devices must be checked and cleared by biomed prior to use in the facility, they will have a tag attached when this has been completed. Most of electrical safety and for that matter fire safety involves common sense and an ability to keep your eyes open for hazards in the work place.
• #31: Just to recap,fire requires three elements. Heat source, fuel and oxygen. When one is absent, there can be no fire. It is important to take an active part in fire drills so that you are aware of what your role is in the event of a fire. Remember R.A.C.E. and P.A.S.S. Electricity is a convenient source of energy but should not be taken for granted. It has a current that can be measured and if not respected can kill. The human body has the ability to conduct electricity and serves as the conducting object when an individual touches a live circuit. All patient electrical devices must be checked and cleared by biomed prior to use in the facility, they will have a tag attached when this has been completed. Most of electrical safety and for that matter fire safety involves common sense and an ability to keep your eyes open for hazards in the work place.
• #32: Just to recap,fire requires three elements. Heat source, fuel and oxygen. When one is absent, there can be no fire. It is important to take an active part in fire drills so that you are aware of what your role is in the event of a fire. Remember R.A.C.E. and P.A.S.S. Electricity is a convenient source of energy but should not be taken for granted. It has a current that can be measured and if not respected can kill. The human body has the ability to conduct electricity and serves as the conducting object when an individual touches a live circuit. All patient electrical devices must be checked and cleared by biomed prior to use in the facility, they will have a tag attached when this has been completed. Most of electrical safety and for that matter fire safety involves common sense and an ability to keep your eyes open for hazards in the work place.