Bethesda Hospital Occupational Health: Fire Risk Assessment & Plan

This report presents an occupational health management plan tailored for Bethesda Hospital, addressing critical aspects of employee health and safety with a specific focus on fire hazards. The plan begins with an introduction to the importance of health and safety in hospitals, defining key terms such as fire hazards and risk assessment. It provides a demographic overview of Bethesda Hospital's staff, including doctors, nurses, technicians, and other personnel. A detailed risk assessment identifies potential fire hazards like oxygen cylinders, excessive hand sanitizer storage, and electrical issues, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive management plan. The report reviews relevant literature, highlighting the hospital's existing policies and procedures, and proposes strategies for improvement, including regular equipment maintenance, kitchen safety upgrades, smoking restrictions, and customized extension cords. It outlines emergency response procedures, including evacuation protocols and contact information for emergency services. The plan is designed to minimize fire risks, enhance employee safety, and ensure compliance with Australian health and safety laws. The report concludes with an evaluation of the proposed strategies and recommendations for ongoing monitoring and updates. Desklib offers more solved assignments.

Occupational Health Management Plan
Student Name
Student ID
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Executive Summary
In this section, the Bethesda hospital has been analysed in term of health and safety.
This assignment is based on the health and safety of the employees and the hospital.
Here, the fire risk hazards of the hospital, the probable way to minimise it and also a
management plan is been discussed. The entire assignment has a layout on the
implementation of the plan and the maintenance and monitors the plan and the new
changes.
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Contents
Executive Summary.......................................................................................................ii
Industry or organisation name........................................................................................2
An introduction..............................................................................................................2
Definitions......................................................................................................................2
Workplace demography.................................................................................................2
Assessment of risk..........................................................................................................3
A critical review of relevant literature...........................................................................4
Management Plan...........................................................................................................5
Emergency Response.....................................................................................................9
Evaluation................................................................................................................of 12
Conclusion....................................................................................................................14
References....................................................................................................................15
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Industry or organisation name
BETHESDA HOSPITAL (Bethesda.org.au. 2019)
An introduction
Health and safety is a major part of hospitals. In every hospital, there are various
health and safety hazards like physical, chemical, biological, fire etc. The patients and
their family members, as well as the workers, face many health and safety issues. To
maintain a workplace in a proper systematic way and safe for the employees, there
needs to be some management plan about controlling the hazards. the focus of this
assignment in fire hazards in the hospital. In this assignment, the fire hazard of
Bethesda hospital and the way to reduce it is going to be discussed.
Definitions
Fire hazards- the threat of fire in the organisation or some specific place is called the
fire hazards. It is a matter of building safety.
Risk assessment- it is a long process which includes some steps. In the first step, the
hazards are identified, the risk factors that can affect negatively, analysis of the risk
and evaluation is the total process of risk assessment (Australia, 2019).
Risk management plan- This is a plan where the methods and the ways are
identified which can effectively oppose the risks and the strategies that will
implement and can reduce the risk effects.
Healthcare management- this is an administration which takes care of the health
system of public, hospital, hospital network, another medical facility.
Workplace demography
Workplace demography means the statistical or numerical details of the specific place
about the employee. A hospital has various types of employees such as doctor, nurse
(three types) technicians, laboratory technicians, medical assistant, home health aid
and therapist (Developing Occupational Health and Safety Policies and Programs |
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Service NL. 2019). The hospital Bethesda has various staff as well. Here the
demography of Bethesda hospital is discussed.
Staff Number
Doctors 350
Nurse 1500
Technicians 60
Therapists 60
Medical assistants 700
Home health aid 100
Other 300
Assessment of risk
Fire hazard is a very common and vibrant hazard that happens in hospitals. There are
several reasons for that. Particularly in hospitals, a few things create these fire
hazards. Such as oxygen cylinder, excess hand wash storage, electrical hazards,
kitchen
hazards etc. the main reason for this hazard is the materials that are using in the
workplace but it cannot be ignored, as it is the essential things in the hospital place.
This is a serious issue as these hazards can affect the employees of the hospitals and
can end up with life risk. That is why a management plan is most needed in the
hospital to take care of it.
These create a lot of risk such as this excess hand sanitizer is an alcohol material. It
has the excess possibility to increase flames. The oxygen cylinder is highly
flammable. The unwanted fire can create a huge life loss for the fire. In addition, the
electrical problems, short circuit and electrical fire are the main reason behind the
hospital fire problem. This creates a huge fire hazard, which leads to a massive
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problem and safety issue for the patients, staffs and other families (Emergency
Evacuation Procedures | BSOE Facilities. 2019).
Fire hazard assessment- The fire hazards have a few steps through which the hazard
is assessed.
1. The hospital identifies the fire hazards
2. Identifies the people who are in risk
3. Evaluate, remove or reduce the risk probability
4. The process needs the record and then the hospital makes an emergency plan and
provides training to the staffs for that.
4. The fire risk assessment is reviewed regularly and updates the assessment to get
prepared with the upcoming problems (Examples of Fire Hazards in the Workplace -
Assured Fire and Security. 2019).
Legal requirement- In Australia, there is various health and safety law to minimize
the risks for the employees. The laws that protect the employees from hazards and
implement the safety are Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 1974, Management
of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSWR) 1999, Hierarchy of control,
Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977, The Licensing Act
2003, Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 (Fire safety and protection in hospital. 2019).
The hospitals are very irresponsible in these scenes. The hospital management must
be aware of this. The change is needed in case of management. The equipment must
be in the easiest place so that the people can reach that in the easiest way.
A critical review of relevant literature
The BETHESDA HOSPITAL had a little problem to deal with the fire hazards. The
hospital has some policies and procedure to deal with the problem.
Policies- the hospital has covered the risks for the employees. Through the act
employee protection, and health and safety act, the company is responsible for the
harm to the employees. The management of the hospital has a commitment to the
employees about their safety in the workplace and the risks they have in their life and
the responsibilities are taken by the organisation or here the hospital (Ishn.com 2019).
Procedure- The company has some authority and responsibility to the staff of the
company. The company has legal frameworks for the safety of the employees. The
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main problem is a fire hazard and in this assignment, the hospital has taken many
steps so that there will be no damage to the employees because of that. But from the
last organisational survey, there were a lot of problems which is the main reason for
mismanagement. The company is trying to maintain the management better in case of
making the hospital safer for the employees and also for the other members as well.
The intervention process- the company has taken some new process to deal with the
safety issues happening in the organisation especially in the form of fire hazards.
These are implementing a program that includes preparation, prevention and
recognition. The organisation has taken more care about the risk agents. Like the
hand, sanitizer is a product which is must in hospital but the excess alcohol is a
burning agent. The excess amount of hand sanitizer saving in the same place is risky
and for that, the hospital is changing the storage where there can't be any excess heat.
There are many materials that are flammable and can generate the fire from very little
heat. The organisation is being sensible and making a storage space where the
flammable things can be affected by heat. The hospital is making its safety tools
activate and trying to reinforce a better safety to the workplace (Workplace Fire
Prevention: Adopting Better Safety Measures | Safety Services Company. 2019). As
there are many problems already, the hospital is trying to fix very small problems to
start the change in the hospital and make the place better and safe for everyone.
Management Plan
To minimise the fire hazards from the hospitals, there must be some proper
management plan.
Issue Strategy Source of
the issue
Plan for
betterment
Time
needed
Success
criteria
Electrical
equipment
problem
(Bethesda.org.
There will
be the
maintenan
ce of all
Bad
maintenanc
e of the
equipment
There will
be a regular
check on
the
Once in a
week
By this, the
organisation
will be safe
from the
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au. 2019) the
electrical
equipment
in regular
measure
electrical
equipment
in order to
minimise
the risks.
The
equipment
will be
checked
once a
week.
electrical
fire as this
is the
riskiest fire
in a
workplace
to happen.
Kitchen Different
new types
of
equipment
will
modify the
cooking
fire. The
stoves that
do not
need fire.
The fire
problems
by the
kitchen will
be
minimized
automatical
ly when the
cooking
gadgets
will change
into
induction
or
microwave
technology.
These new
gadgets
need to
check up as
well this
strategy of
using new
gadget will
minimise
the risk.
It needs one
month to
change the
entire
kitchen
setup
(Australia,
2019)
By using
new
technology
where the
fire cannot
affect or
create, will
automaticall
y decrease
the risk of
explosion or
fire hazards
Cigarette
smoke
There will
be smoke
alerts and
fine for the
People not
being
aware of
the safety
The fine
system will
definitely
decrease
It needs one
week to do
signboards
and do
Implementi
ng these
new rules is
a smart
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people
who will
not be
aware of
it.
issues are
the main
cause that
people are
smoking in
hospitals.
the
cigarette in
the hospital
and
automatical
ly the risk
will also
decrease.
notices
about the
new rule.
strategy as
it can
decrease a
huge risk in
the most
little time.
Medical
equipment
1. extension
cord
(Developing
Occupational
Health and
Safety Policies
and Programs |
Service NL.
2019)
There will
be
customised
extension
cords so
that the
excess
heat
cannot
affect
people by
generating
fire.
Overuse of
the cords
sometimes
causes
excess heat
which at
the end
produces
spark and
fire at the
end.
The plan is
to generate
customise
cords for
the
equipment
so that the
excess heat
can be
minimised
It needs
almost one
month to
restructure
this
customizati
on
By this, the
heat will be
minimised
and risk as
well.
Fire door There are
problemati
c doors
and also
some
equipment
is creating
problem in
operating
the door
Miss
managemen
t
There will
be a regular
check on
the doors
and if there
is any
problem, it
will be
solved in
less than a
It needs
almost six
months to
operate the
problems.
By this, the
risk of the
employees
and patient
will be
minimised.
In any case
of
accidents,
people can
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which is
making
them of no
use.
day
(Emergenc
y
Evacuation
Procedures
| BSOE
Facilities.
2019).
escape.
Training There will
be various
training the
employees
to be better
in case of
safety. The
training
will be
handled by
the safety
officers to
make the
workplace
safe in case
of fire
hazards.
There will
be training
every
month for
safety.
Training
will make
the
employees
able to
handle the
situation.
Emergency Response
Organisation Name Contact Titl
e
Phone number
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ALL - - 000
State Emergency Services
(SES)
- - 132 500
Police - - 61 8 9286 7777
Fire - - 000
Ambulance - - 000
Procedures A brief outline of
procedures
Evacuation
point/ address
Reference
to full
procedure
document
Supporting
documentation
Fire
Evacuation
Procedure
The fire evacuation
process is very
important to know
for every person who
is related to the
hospital or not.
The process is
Step 1
Report the fire or
smoke to emergency
personnel (Examples
of Fire Hazards in
the Workplace -
Assured Fire and
Security. 2019)
The evacuation
point is the
safer place than
the building
which has fired
already.
It can be the
street corner
and also a few
distances apart
from the
accident.
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Step 2
The nearest fire
alarm pull needs to
be addressed and the
alarm needs to be
pulled.
Step 3
Call 911
Step 4
Give detail
information about
the location and the
fire.
Step 5
Evacuate the
building through the
safety door.
Step 6
Proceed to the
emergency assembly
area.
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