Hospitals are difficult institutions to adequately protect in the event of a fire. After all fire detection equipment and fire fighting equipment such as extinguishers and blankets have been acquired, evacuation equipment for the moving of patients will need to be considered. Some of the patients will be unable to move of their own accord. Fortunately, there are evacuation products that have been created for this task. Evacuation sheets for instance can be permanently installed beneath mattresses, ensuring that they are always at hand and will not take up any space. The sheet and mattress with the patient strapped to it (with the buckles provided with the evacuation sheet) are lifted out of the bed and then safely pulled over the floors and stairs into safety. Two members of staff are required for this evacuation. Alternatively, the mattress itself can be designed as an evacuation device.
Another option is evacuation sledges, which are stored in wall pouches and can be used for immobile patients that can be handled without risk of injury. The sledge is placed next to the patient on the bed and the patient is then rolled onto the sledge. The sledge is then lifted from the bed and moved into safety. Again two staff members are needed.
Other patients may be able to sit but cannot walk. In this event, the optimum evacuation option is an evacuation chair which only requires one person to operate it. As lifts and escalators are not allowed during a fire, normal wheelchairs would present a fire evacuation problem. The evacuation chairs can, however, be safely used on a staircase. They have traction belts which slow down the descent of the chair on the stairs. However, it is important to bear in mind that the use of fire evacuation chairs requires training, and as such, the chair comes with a user manual and CD and we offer on-site training sessions.
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