Safety

Evacuation

Management
This provides a strategy for the possible evacuation of all or part of any building or facility within the Hospital System. This identifies the four different types of evacuations and situations in which each should be implemented. Being familiar with the different types of evacuations will help any person in case an evacuation is needed. If an evacuation of a patient care arises, the need must be communicated to an authorized activator to determine if a Code Triage Internal is necessary. Immediate life safety hazards should be addressed by removing the patient (s), staff, and visitors from the area and isolating them from the event by Life Safety Construction features (i.e. smoke compartment/fire doors).

Evacuation Types

  1. Horizontal evacuations from a threatened area to a non-threatened area should assure life safety in most situations. This evacuation would cause movement from one area of a floor to another area of the same floor first. These areas would be separated by Life Safety Construction features (i.e. smoke compartment/fire doors). Additionally, horizontal movement into an adjacent building would be secondary, where applicable.
  2. Vertical evacuations from a threatened area to a non-threatened area on another floor may be necessary when it is undesirable or unsafe to remain in place. This requires movement of patients, visitors, and staff to another floor and depending on the situation may facilitate use of evacuation stairwells only as elevators may be unsafe or non-functional.
  3. A building-wide evacuation will necessitate utilization of the Alternate Care Site Plan and Assembly Areas. Building-wide evacuations are ordered when it is unsafe or undesirable to remain in the building. This movement requires movement of patients, visitors, and staff to the exterior of the building and depending on the situation may facilitate use of evacuation stairwells only as elevators may be unsafe or non-functional.

Evacuation Policy
For additional information on evacuations, reference Policy HS 8302 Evacuation Patient Care Area (PDF).