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Taking care of our own:
In the Line of Fire

Written by Sara Nielsen, safety education and compliance coordinator, Safety Management Services

Your NumbersTo review all 2009 hospital NPSGS in detail,
visit www.med.umich.edu/i/quality.
Be safe!

Whether it’s a patient secretly smoking in his room or a bag of scorched microwave popcorn, all Health System employees have a responsibility to minimize the risk of fire to patients, visitors and co-workers. Fire drills and education are just a few ways we prepare. Here’s a quick refresher on fire safety—at work and at home.

Fire Safety

Don’t Forget R.A.C.E. and P.A.S.S.

Remembering the right order of our actions is key. We rescue, alarm, contain and then extinguish (R.A.C.E.). We pull, aim, squeeze and sweep (P.A.S.S.) when using a fire extinguisher.

Be Prepared To:

  • Call 911 and alert others
  • Use pull alarms and fire extinguishers
  • Clear corridors and contain fire by closing doors and windows
  • Move occupants to safety by evacuation routes
  • Use fire extinguishers for small, contained fires

Fire Safety at Home:

  • Watch for common causes of home fires (unattended cooking, electrical problems, and careless use of candles and smoking materials)
  • Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home
  • Test alarms monthly, change batteries yearly and replace detectors every 10 years
  • Plan at least two ways out of every room (you may need escape ladders) and an outside meeting place
  • Practice your escape plan twice a year
  • Use portable fire extinguishers for small, contained fires

Visit the Safety Central Fire Safety Web site at www.med.umich.edu/i/safety/fire/index.htm or listen to the Take5 for Safety podcasts at www.med.umich.edu/i/podcasts. A new fire safety podcast is coming in February.

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