HospitalInspections.org

Based on observations made during the tour of the facility, interviews with staff, and a review of facility records, the facility failed to ensure all portions of the Healthcare structure are of the acceptable building construction type.

The findings include:

The facility has a double wide residential mobile home trailer that was being utilized for the treatment of patients. Further review revealed the use was an adjunct to the Emergency Room called "Fast Track." A mobile home is not an acceptable construction type for hospital patients, nor can renovation change this.

The facility director stated he did attempt to get approval for the installation of interconnected fire alarm components, and an interconnected fire sprinkler system. The application for these protection systems were denied based on the inability to meet the minimum construction standard including the fire protection features. The facility voluntarily discontinued use of the structure for the treatment of hospital patients.

Based on a review of the facility records and interview with the staff, the facility failed to ensure all mechanical duct dampers were tested. This renders the equipment unreliable, and if they fail in the event of fire, the dampers will not close, allowing smoke to breech other smoke or fire compartments endangering all building occupants.

The findings include:

Life Safety Code Systems Inc. did an inspection of the facility dampers which was completed on 6/4/06. This inspection resulted in findings including eleven (11) fire dampers which were inaccessible to the inspector who indicated this on the report and enumerated the locations of these dampers.

Interview with the facility director revealed that these dampers have yet to be made accessible and tested as required.

Based on a review of the facility records and interview with the staff, the facility failed to ensure all staff are trained in disaster preparedness. This could in the event of an internal or external disaster cause confusion and/or panic from a lack of knowledge for staff and raise potential for negative outcomes to the residents and staff.

The findings include:

The documentation presented to show the staff had conducted internal and external disaster drills did not have any method of showing what or how many staff were active participants in the training, and there were no other methods for tracking staff disaster training other than in-service training.

Based on observations made during the tour of the facility, interviews with staff, and a review of facility records, the facility failed to ensure all portions of the Healthcare structure are of the acceptable building construction type.

The findings include:

The facility has a double wide residential mobile home trailer that was being utilized for the treatment of patients. Further review revealed the use was an adjunct to the Emergency Room called "Fast Track." A mobile home is not an acceptable construction type for hospital patients, nor can renovation change this.

The facility director stated he did attempt to get approval for the installation of interconnected fire alarm components, and an interconnected fire sprinkler system. The application for these protection systems were denied based on the inability to meet the minimum construction standard including the fire protection features. The facility voluntarily discontinued use of the structure for the treatment of hospital patients.

Based on a review of the facility records and interview with the staff, the facility failed to ensure all mechanical duct dampers were tested. This renders the equipment unreliable, and if they fail in the event of fire, the dampers will not close, allowing smoke to breech other smoke or fire compartments endangering all building occupants.

The findings include:

Life Safety Code Systems Inc. did an inspection of the facility dampers which was completed on 6/4/06. This inspection resulted in findings including eleven (11) fire dampers which were inaccessible to the inspector who indicated this on the report and enumerated the locations of these dampers.

Interview with the facility director revealed that these dampers have yet to be made accessible and tested as required.

Based on a review of the facility records and interview with the staff, the facility failed to ensure all staff are trained in disaster preparedness. This could in the event of an internal or external disaster cause confusion and/or panic from a lack of knowledge for staff and raise potential for negative outcomes to the residents and staff.

The findings include:

The documentation presented to show the staff had conducted internal and external disaster drills did not have any method of showing what or how many staff were active participants in the training, and there were no other methods for tracking staff disaster training other than in-service training.