Conceptual Compilation of Activity Criteria During the Post-disaster Stage of a Fire Hazard in Hospitals

Abstract

The occurrence of fire hazards can cause disastrous consequences in any place and such consequences can be particularly severe in hospitals where a large number of the present population are highly vulnerable in disastrous events. It is also possible that, even after the fire hazard is neutralized, the hospital may remain in a risky position. For example, damages caused due to the electricity framework in the building can cause cascading effects later on by disrupting the power supply of the hospital. Therefore, it is important to seriously consider and undertake the necessary post-disaster activities after a fire. This paper tries to look at all activities necessary to effectively get through the post-disaster stage of a fire-hazard in a hospital so that it can build up its resilience to future fire hazards. This compilation of activities will include post-disaster inspection and cause identification, transfer of patients if necessary and the involvement of insurance agencies. A comprehensive list of activities has been produced separated under five categories of people, buildings and critical infrastructure systems, equipment, hospital material stores, and post-fire administrative and managerial work. Here, it is also discussed which of these activities should be applied to a scenario depending on the impact level of the fire hazard.