Hospital teams have no shortage of responsibilities. Even still, now is no time to lose focus on fire safety. With healthcare resources already stretched thin in the fight against COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to ensure facilities aren’t taken offline due to avoidable emergencies.
“Right now, a worst-case scenario would be if a hospital or a portion of a hospital were to be shut down as a result of a fire emergency,” says Allena Goodyear, Manager of Life Safety Services with LRI Engineering Inc. “Many healthcare facilities are already stretched thin, so having to move people to another area or hospital altogether would be very challenging on the healthcare system as a whole.”
Managing compliance
There are good reasons why fire safety is a priority in this field. Hospitals are home to combustible materials, sophisticated equipment, and atypical layouts that add extra complexities when designing fire safety plans. Moreover, there is the fact that some patients may be harder to evacuate due to mental or physical limitations, and special considerations must be made to keep them safe during an emergency.
“This is where staff training becomes essential to fire safety compliance,” says Goodyear. “Every staff member needs to know what their role is during an emergency and how to make quick critical decisions. That’s why it’s important to verify that fire drills and training sessions are being conducted appropriately, because there are a lot of little things that can be forgotten or missed when an event actually happens.”
Regulations exist to ensure fire safety plans meet the demands of the job. Rules also exist to make sure staff are trained on the latest fire prevention and response measures to keep the risks of fire at bay. These guidelines are in place for good reasons, but it can be difficult for teams to ensure their fire safety programs keep pace with industry expectations.
Understanding this, LRI Engineering Inc. (LRI) is doing its part to promote fire safety compliance through a mix of industry consulting and technological solutions. As Goodyear explains, “Everyone knows how important fire safety is in a hospital environment; that’s never been in question. What we provide, however, is extra support to ensure hospital teams are compliant when it comes to how they’re maintaining their systems, updating their plans, and conducting their training or drills.”
LRI’s support takes multiple forms. Over the years, Goodyear and the team at LRI have helped hospital owners and teams throughout Ontario to develop fire safety plans that meet and exceed compliance expectations. Their work has included consulting on new hospitals, such as the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, and providing a range of fire safety training, planning, and compliance support for teams at established facilities.
Tracking compliance is also critical. To that end, LRI also offers Compliance Connect, a program that blends digital solutions and professional auditing services to help teams stay ahead of their fire safety responsibilities throughout the year.
“Through Compliance Connect, our goal is to provide a software platform that helps building owners simplify their required maintenance requirements under the fire code by making sure everything they need is held and tracked in one location,” adds Goodyear.
Prioritizing safety
Without a doubt, fire safety must remain a priority in healthcare. That means staying up to speed with best practices and ensuring fire safety compliance across the board.
“We can’t let fire safety slip, especially now when the healthcare community is working overtime and needs every space and resource,” says Goodyear, adding, “More than ever, we need to ensure these environments are safe and that their teams are compliant with their fire code and safety plan obligations.”
To learn more about the Compliance Connect program, email LRI today at ComplianceConnect@LRiFire.com.
