Fire Action Patient Care Areas Progressive Horizontal Evacuation Sign

This Fire Action Patient Care Areas Progressive Horizontal Evacuation Sign provides detailed emergency instructions for healthcare environments where patients may need assistance during a fire and where progressive horizontal evacuation forms part of the approved fire strategy. The sign explains the actions required when a fire is discovered, how occupants should respond to different alarm signals and how patients should be moved from an affected area to an adjacent safe ward or department.

The sign is particularly suited to hospitals and other healthcare premises where immediate total evacuation of the entire building may not be appropriate. Progressive horizontal evacuation can allow patients to be moved away from an affected fire compartment into an adjacent protected area on the same floor before further evacuation is considered necessary.

The first instruction for anyone discovering a fire is to operate the nearest fire alarm call point. The wording accommodates break-glass or key operated alarm arrangements and should correspond with the actual fire alarm equipment and procedures provided within the premises.

The sign then instructs the person discovering the fire to telephone 2222 using the nearest telephone and inform the switchboard of the location of the fire. This is a site specific emergency telephone procedure and the number 2222 should only be displayed where it is the approved internal emergency number for the particular premises.

Accurate information concerning the location of a fire is particularly important within large healthcare premises. Providing the ward, department, floor, room or other identifiable location can assist switchboard personnel, emergency teams and the Fire and Rescue Service in responding to the correct area.

The On Hearing The Alarm section distinguishes between two different alarm conditions. An intermittent alarm accompanied by red flashing beacons indicates Stand By and instructs occupants and staff to prepare for evacuation.

A continuous alarm indicates Evacuate. Staff and other occupants should understand the difference between these alarm signals and the actions associated with each condition as part of the premises fire safety training and emergency procedures.

When evacuation is required, occupants are instructed to leave the affected area immediately, quickly and calmly using the nearest appropriate exit and move to a safe place on the same floor. This supports the principle of moving away from the immediate fire risk while avoiding unnecessary vertical evacuation where the approved strategy allows occupants to remain within another protected compartment.

The instruction to report missing persons to the Fire Officer or Security helps ensure that information concerning potentially unaccounted for patients, staff, visitors or contractors can be communicated to those coordinating the emergency response.

The sign identifies the next unaffected ward or department on the same floor as the assembly or initial safe location under the Progressive Horizontal Evacuation procedure. This allows occupants and patients to be moved behind appropriate fire resisting construction away from the affected area.

Progressive horizontal evacuation relies heavily on effective fire compartmentation. Fire resisting walls, floors and doors are intended to restrict the spread of fire and smoke for a specified period, allowing occupants to be moved progressively into safer areas where appropriate.

If it becomes necessary to leave the floor level or evacuate the building completely, the sign instructs occupants to use the stairs and proceed to the designated external assembly point. Space is provided for the external assembly point location to be entered according to the premises emergency arrangements.

The instruction Do Not Use Lifts reminds occupants that ordinary passenger lifts should not normally be used during a fire evacuation. Any use of designated evacuation lifts, firefighting lifts or other specialised lift arrangements should only take place in accordance with the approved fire strategy and established emergency procedures.

The instruction Do Not Stop To Pick Up Personal Belongings reinforces the importance of avoiding unnecessary delays. Staff, patients and visitors should not return to offices, lockers, changing areas, wards or other locations simply to retrieve coats, bags, phones or other possessions.

The instruction Do Not Return To The Building For Any Reason Unless Authorised To Do So helps prevent occupants from re-entering an area that may remain hazardous. Re-entry should only occur when authorised by the appropriate responsible person or the Fire and Rescue Service.

The Patient Care Areas section provides specific instructions concerning progressive horizontal movement. The procedure described requires patients to be moved from the affected area to an adjacent unaffected ward or department, helping place them behind appropriate fire resisting separation and away from immediate danger.

Senior staff are instructed to coordinate the evacuation of patients, beginning with those closest to the fire. Clear coordination is particularly important where patients have different mobility, medical or care requirements and where staff need to prioritise those exposed to the greatest immediate risk.

The sign reminds staff to use wheeled equipment wherever possible, including beds and wheelchairs, where this is appropriate to the patient and the established evacuation procedure. Using suitable equipment can assist staff in moving patients who cannot evacuate independently.

The supplied wording also refers to office chairs on castors and asking family or visitors to assist where possible. Any use of such assistance should only take place where it is consistent with the premises approved fire strategy, staff instructions and patient handling procedures and where it does not expose patients, visitors or other occupants to additional risk.

Healthcare premises should have appropriate arrangements for patients who cannot evacuate independently. These may include suitable evacuation equipment, sufficient trained staff and individual arrangements that take account of mobility, medical, sensory, cognitive or other needs.

This Fire Action Sign is suitable for hospitals, wards, treatment areas and other healthcare environments operating a formally established progressive horizontal evacuation strategy. It may be positioned in staff areas, nurses stations, wards, corridors, treatment departments and other locations identified within the premises fire safety arrangements.

The wording on this sign is highly site specific and should not be applied as a generic fire action procedure. The 2222 emergency number, intermittent and continuous alarm meanings, red flashing beacon arrangements, Fire Officer or Security responsibilities, progressive horizontal evacuation procedure and external assembly point must all correspond with the approved fire strategy for the particular healthcare premises.

The sign should be reviewed whenever there are changes to ward layouts, compartmentation, fire doors, alarm signals, emergency telephone arrangements, patient care procedures, staffing arrangements, evacuation equipment or the overall fire strategy.

Fire action signage should complement rather than replace a suitable fire risk assessment, healthcare fire strategy, documented emergency plan, staff fire safety training, evacuation drills, maintained fire detection and alarm systems, effective fire compartmentation, correctly maintained fire doors and suitable arrangements for assisting patients during evacuation.

Manufactured from durable, high quality materials with excellent print clarity and visibility, this Fire Action Patient Care Areas Progressive Horizontal Evacuation Sign provides a professional and long lasting solution for communicating detailed fire emergency procedures within hospitals and healthcare environments where progressive horizontal evacuation forms part of the approved fire strategy.

Materials available for this product

Self Adhesive Vinyl Sticker

Description:

A self adhesive vinyl plus other stuff in here too

Thickness:

95 micron

Fixing Options:

Self Adhesive

1mm Rigid

Description:

1mm Rigid PVC plastic full descritption

Thickness:

900 micron

Fixing Options:

Can be screwed or glued

Rigid Photoluminescent

Description:

Rigid Photoluminescent (GITD) Glow in the dark

Thickness:

1mm

Fixing Options:

*indicates your currently selected material