Check out what interested surveyors during one hospital’s safety building tour
Accreditation Connection, September 24, 2004
Surveyors who visited Santa Rosa Medical Center in Milton, FL, between May 19-21, went through the hospital with a fine-tooth comb, even during the safety building tour. They did the following:
* Looked at the appearance of exit signs, such as whether they were lit and whether arrows truly pointed to the exit
* Checked for penetrations in smoke barriers
* Reviewed fire extinguisher tags to make sure monthly and annual inspections occurred as required
* Examined the conditions of electrical closets
* Toured the generator room
* Inspected safety items and fire suppression equipment in the kitchen
It's no surprise that surveyors also looked above the ceiling for penetrations in a fire wall. "They
wanted to determine if firewalls were sealed properly," says Greg Newchurch, plant manager at Santa
Rosa. "They also wanted to see a fire damper operate as it would during a fire alarm."
The EC records review included typical fare. Surveyors reviewed the past 12 months of safety
committee meeting minutes and performance improvement data on fire drill critiques. They also looked at the seven EC plans and the hospital's annual appraisals of each plan.
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