Emergency Preparedness

This training session is recommended for all staff members. Continuing Education credits for registered nurses and medical assistants can be arranged upon request.

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This month's training will address three topics that pertain to all of the facility's staff. All staff members should be familiar with emergency preparedness information, along with facility-specific elements, such as emergency phone numbers, evacuation assembly area, etc. The three topics for training are (1) disasters, (2) emergency evacuation, and (3) fire extinguishers. Understanding what must be done and knowing your role will be invaluable in the event of an emergency.

The learning objectives for this training session are to:

• Discuss the different type of disasters that could affect your facility.

• Describe the emergency evacuation procedures.

• Describe the types of fire extinguishers used for fire fighting.

1. Disasters

   A disaster may be defined as a natural or man-made event that will cause a significant problem for your facility in its ability to provide for the care of patients. Examples of disasters may include severe wind or thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, riots, accidents, loss of utilities, or other emergencies that disrupt patient services. The most commonly encountered natural disasters are:

   • Severe thunderstorms and wind storms, which are most prevalent through the Midwest and southern regions of the country, require awareness through radio and television weather reports in order to protect staff and patients. Patients and staff should seek appropriate shelter (i.e., lowest point in building, away from windows/glass) during such storms. Keep patients and staff informed of weather bulletins via radio broadcast and emergency alert bulletins.
   • Earthquakes are usually viewed as a west coast phenomenon, but have occurred in many other parts of the country. Unlike severe storms, earthquakes come without any warning, and your action plan should be reviewed periodically to provide the best response. Train staff members to account for all patients and other staff as soon as possible so that appropriate search and rescue efforts may be implemented.
   • Hurricanes are a coastal disaster and usually allow for longer preparation for emergency action and evacuation. Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are often associated with hurricane weather and present coastal areas with significant exposure to natural disasters. Flooding is a major problem with hurricanes and may require evacuation of the community.

   For severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes, the facility should monitor local weather bulletins by using radio, TV or special weather bulletin radios. Staff members and patients should be kept away from exterior windows. In the event of a warning, appropriate shelter should be sought, as designated by the facility's emergency evacuation plan.

   Review and become familiar with the policy for natural disasters common to your facility's geographic location. It is the responsibility of each staff member to know what must be done and to provide as much help as possible for patients and other staff members.

2. Emergency Evacuation

   The facility's emergency evacuation plan will address the emergencies that may be reasonably anticipated in the facility. Examples include fire, toxic chemical release, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and others. Regardless of its cause, evacuation should be a planned and orderly event to eliminate panic and reduce the potential for serious injury. Understanding your specific assignment during an evacuation will help to ensure a safe and orderly process.

   Each staff member must be trained on the facility's emergency evacuation plan, including:

   • Activation of emergency evacuation plan - Whether an audible alarm, overhead paging, or other type of alert system is used, it is important that you are familiar the signal and your expected actions in the event of an emergency that requires evacuation of the facility.
   • Evacuation routes - Review the floor plan or evacuation map for your facility. Ensure that you are familiar with the most efficient exit route. The use of elevators should be avoided because of potential power failure during the evacuation. Review of the evacuation routes becomes especially important when a selected route is impassable and an alternate route must be used.
   • Evacuation of non-staff personnel - Patients, their family members, temporary staff and other visitors to your facility will be unfamiliar with the evacuation routes you have identified on your map. All staff members should be able to provide assistance to make sure that non-staff personnel are evacuated in a safe manner.
   • Fire fighting procedures - In the event of a fire emergency, the staff should be trained on their expected fire fighting efforts. Some facilities may have a policy that prohibits staff from performing fire-fighting procedures. In such cases, the policy may require evacuation of the facility and notification of emergency personnel. Ensure that you clearly understand your facility's policy and know what is expected of you in case of a fire emergency.
   • Emergency notification - Review with your Safety Training Coordinator the policy regarding notification of emergency response personnel. In some facilities, the policy is to dial 911, while others may dial a hospital campus number for response by an emergency team from the hospital. In areas without 911 service, the local sheriff or fire department may be the source for emergency response.
   • Assembly point - Become familiar with the assembly point for your facility (a designated area where everyone will gather after evacuating the facility to account for all staff members). It is the responsibility of each staff member to check in at the assembly point to help ensure proper evacuation of the facility.
   • Natural disasters - Tornadoes, severe windstorms, earthquakes, flash floods and other such natural disasters or emergencies require different procedures. Review the natural disasters that may occur in your geographical area, along with the ap-propriate action to be followed.

   Emergency evacuation for man-made disasters (i.e., riots, workplace violence) will depend upon your security procedures. Man-made disasters may or may not require evacuation of the facility. In some instances, evacuation may place patients and staff at risk for injury. Check with your immediate supervisor for your facility's procedures during man-made disasters.

3. Fire Extinguishers

   The use of portable fire extinguishers will vary from one facility to another. Check with your Safety Training Coordinator regarding the proper use of fire extinguishers within your facility.

   Specific individuals may be selected to operate fire-fighting equipment, and you need to know whether you are among that selected group. Note: OSHA's standard for portable fire suppression equipment (29 CFR 19 10.157(h) allows the facility to have no fire extinguishers, provided there is a written plan that requires the immediate and total evacuation of the facility in the event of a fire emergency. The standard also allows the facility to select individuals for fire fighting, provided the remainder of the staff is required to immediately evacuate the affected area upon the sounding of a fire alarm. Note also that some local fire codes require fire extinguishers, regardless of your fire-fighting policy.

   Ask your Safety Training Coordinator whether you are expected to use a fire extinguisher should a fire emergency arise. If you have been selected to use the extinguishers, ensure that you are familiar with the location and operation of the extinguishers in your facility. There are four classes of fires and different fire extinguishers may be needed for each of them. Extinguishers are labeled with an identification of the type of fire they can fight. An "ABC" fire extinguisher is commonly used and can fight Class A, B, or C type fires (these are the most commonly occurring fires).

   "Class A" fire means a fire involving ordinary combustible materials such as paper, wood, cloth, and some rubber and plastic materials. Examples include fires that involve paper products, furniture and most of the construction of a building.

   "Class B" fire means a fire involving flammable or combustible liquids, flammable gases, greases and similar materials, and some rubber and plastic materials. Examples include fires involving liquid chemicals such as alcohol, acetone and other flammable liquids used in the facility.

   "Class C" fire means a fire involving energized electrical equipment where safety to the employee requires the use of electrically nonconductive extinguishing media. Examples include fires involving lab, computer, and other electrically powered instruments in the facility.

   "Class D" fire means a fire involving combustible metals such as magnesium, titanium, zirconium, sodium, lithium and potassium. This class of fire is rare for the healthcare setting.

   Check the class of the fire extinguishers in the facility and become familiar with the type of fire they are capable of fighting. Carefully review the instructions on the fire extinguisher so that you can react quickly in the event of a fire emergency.

   Summary

   Natural disasters, evacuation, and fire extinguishers are all emergency situations that require immediate attention. Training and knowledge of your practice's policies for emergency response topics will limit the potential for injury. Review any questions with your Safety Training Coordinator to clear any confusion and to ensure that your response to an emergency will be effective.

   Training Notes

   For severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes, the facility should monitor local weather bulletins by using radio, TV or special weather bulletin radios

   Regardless of its cause, an evacuation should be a planned and orderly event to eliminate panic and reduce the po-tential for serious injury.

   Evacuation routes - review the floor plan or evacuation map for your facility. Ensure that you are familiar with the most efficient exit route.

   Assembly point - Become familiar with the assembly point for your facility.

   The facility may select specific individuals to operate fire-fighting equipment, and you need to know if you are among that selected group.

   An "ABC" fire extinguisher is commonly used, and can fight Class A, B, or C type fires (the most commonly occurring fires).

   Test Registry for Emergency Preparedness

   Instructions

   Welcome to the Test Registry. Please read these instructions before accessing the on-line test center.
   • You must complete the test below by circling your answers before accessing the Test Registry on-line test center by either computer or phone. To assure successful completion, please arrange to take the test at a time when you will not be interrupted.
   • You will be asked to enter your social security number to gain access to the on-line test center.
   • You will be admitted to the Test Registry on-line test center only once per testing period. If you begin to take the test after entering your ID but do not complete the test, you will be unable to access the on-line test again during that testing period. If this occurs contact your supervisor .
   • If you access the Test Registry on-line system by computer, you will see a copy of the test on the screen. Just click the radio buttons to record your responses. If you access the on-line center by phone you will hear prompts for the question number and the kind of question (true-false, multiple choice) but the content of the question will not be spoken.
   • The testing period will begin on the 7th day of the initial month and end on last day of the subsequent month.

   Click here to take the test.

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