Avant - Mutual Group

  • Emergency Procedures

    It is important to provide staff with guidelines on the correct action required to protect patients and staff in the event of an emergency situation threatening life and/or property, including medical emergencies, fire and evacuation.

    Staff should be skilled in the management of emergencies through the establishment of clear guidelines and regular training.

    Improving your practice

    1. A suitably experienced and trained person should be nominated as the chief warden to coordinate the overall management of emergencies. In addition, a designated person should be nominated each shift to act in the chief warden's absence.
    2. Staff should be familiar with how to recognise and act in an emergency (see emergency response codes below). The main steps to follow are:
      1. Detection of the emergency
      2. Acknowledgement of the emergency and decision on the appropriate code
      3. Communication of the decision to management/staff
      4. Implementation of appropriate action by management/staff.
       
    3. In the event of an emergency, the staff member involved should call the appropriate code as soon as possible to alert the other staff members.
    4. The designated chief warden should decide if the appropriate emergency services should also be called.
    5. The chief warden should coordinate appropriate action. Staff should act promptly when they hear a code called. The safety of patients, staff and visitors is paramount.
    6. The following are priorities during an emergency:

      Avant's Getting Started in Practice - Priorities during an emergency  

    7. If an emergency evacuation is required, staff should be guided by the chief warden. Significant actions include:

      Avant-Getting-Started-In-Practice-Emergency-Procedure-Actions.jpg

    8. Staff should attend training in the emergency codes and responses for the practice in the first month of commencement of employment and annually, including a demonstration of codes, evacuation procedures, emergency exits and use of emergency equipment.
    9. The designated chief warden should attend a formal training program in emergency procedures.

    Emergency response codes

    Type of emergency   Action  
    Code red
    Fire
     
    Code blue
    Medical emergency
     
    Code orange
    Evacuation
     
    Code yellow
    Internal emergency
     
    Code purple
    Bomb threat
     
    Code black
    Personal threat
     
    Code brown
    External emergency
    1. Follow the emergency policy designed for your practice.
    2. Remain calm - do not panic.
    3. Raise the alarm and ensure the exact location of the emergency is disseminated to the required emergency services/staff.
    4. Alert management and other staff/patient's.
    5. Remove people from danger if safe to do so.
    6. Remember - no amount of money or drugs are worth a life.
    7. Report to the chief warden.
    8. Provide assistance as required.
    9. Ensure the phone line is kept open.
    10. Assemble as directed by the chief warden and evacuate when instructed to do so.
     
  • backnext