![]() ![]() ![]() This action allows the extinguisher to be operated.Īim: Aim the fire extinguisher's nozzle or hose at the fire's base. Pull: Pull the safety pin on the extinguisher handle. This acronym provides a methodical approach to using a portable fire extinguisher effectively. P.A.S.S: PASS stands for Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep. If the fire is too large, spreading rapidly, or if you are unsure how to use a fire extinguisher, immediately evacuate the area, following the designated evacuation routes and procedures. However, it is essential to prioritize personal safety and never put yourself at risk. This can help restrict the fire's spread, preventing it from spreading to other building areas.Įxtinguish/Evacuate: If it is safe and you have been trained to use fire extinguishers, you may attempt to extinguish small fires using the appropriate extinguisher. Immediately notify emergency services, such as the fire department, to report the fire.Ĭontain: If possible, attempt to contain the fire by closing doors and windows. This step is crucial as it alerts others in the building and initiates evacuation. If it is safe, help evacuate individuals from the affected area to a safe location.Īlarm: Activate the fire alarm system. ![]() This involves rescuing anyone trapped or in need of assistance. Rescue: The priority is to ensure the safety of individuals in immediate danger. It is a simple and easy-to-remember acronym that outlines the recommended steps to be taken during a fire emergency R.A.C.E: RACE stands for Rescue, Alarm, Contain, and Extinguish/Evacuate. Let's take a closer look at each of them: ![]() It provides a structured approach to responding effectively in a fire emergency. Readers, if you would like a free copy of a fire drill evaluation sheet, send an email to and put “Fire Drill Evaluation” in the subject line.RACE/PASS 101 RACE/PASS is a commonly used acronym in fire safety procedures. Also, the 2012 NFPA 99 Health Care Facilities Code, section 15.13.3.10.3 now requires fire drills in the OR Surgery on an annual basis. It won’t hurt to get signatures of all who participate during fire drills, and don’t forget about those weekend and holiday shifts. If your fire response plan expects staff who are away from the scene of the alarm to do something, then you need to send observers out to watch and evaluate them. Perhaps getting up and clearing corridors and closing patient room doors is another appropriate response. So, what does your fire response plan say about the expectations of staff who are away from the scene of the alarm? If the alarm goes off on the 4th floor, what do you expect the staff to do who are located on the 1st floor? Perhaps nothing is an appropriate response. It is interesting to note that both the LSC and the accreditation organization’s standards says that staff must participate in fire drills in accordance with the fire response plan. “Staff who work in buildings where patients are housed or treated participate in drills according to the hospital’s fire response plan.” Your accreditation organization says this about hospital personnel participating in fire drills: Drills shall include suitable procedures to ensure that all persons subject to the drill participate (4.7.2) The 2012 Life Safety Code says this about hospital personnel participating in fire drills:Īll employees shall be periodically instructed and kept informed with respect to their duties (19.7.1.2)ĭrills shall be conducted quarterly on each shift to familiarize facility personnel (nurses, interns, maintenance engineers, and administrative staff) with the signals and emergency action required under varied conditions (19.7.1.6)Įmployees of healthcare occupancies shall be instructed in life safety procedures and devices (19.7.1.8)Įmergency egress and relocation drills shall be held with sufficient frequency to familiarize occupants with the drill procedure and to establish conduct of the drill as a matter of routine. Do this in as many different departments as you can. In other words, take your fellow Safety Committee members, provide them with some training on what to look for, and give them an evaluation sheet that they can make some notations on how the staff responded away from the source of the alarm. In large facilities, how is this best accomplished from your experience?Ī: This is best accomplished by having trained observers out in other departments/units recording what the staff does during the fire alarm signal. One fire drill form is not sufficient to verify RACE is properly handled throughout. Q: One of our AHJs is looking for verification that all hospital personnel participates in fire drills, not just in the vicinity of the system activation. ![]()
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