Planning for Evacuation of Hospitals
The Joint Commission’s Guidebook (2010) has a useful checklist that hospitals can use to plan for evacuation.
Elements of an Evacuation Plan
Answering the following questions regarding a hospital’s evacuation policy will help
determine if it has all the necessary elements for an effective evacuation plan:
- Does the plan identify the conditions under which an evacuation would be necessary?
- Does the plan identify a clear chain of command and designate a person authorized to order an evacuation or shutdown of operations?
- Does the plan address the types of actions expected of different employees for the various types of potential emergencies?
- Does the plan designate who, if anyone, will stay to shut down critical operations during an evacuation?