The Oncology and Haematology Departments at Bristol Royal Infirmary were severely affected last week as a fire was discovered on the ground floor. Over 50 patients, some due for surgery, were evacuated and out-patient services were affected. The fire started early morning and was dealt with, thanks to the swift thinking of staff. It would appear that the origin was an electrical fire, and this caused extensive smoke damage throughout the building, which is situated next to the Bristol Royal Infirmary.
After a fire breaks out in a hospital environment, things are clearly more complicated. At the Bristol Royal Infirmary neighbouring NHS hospitals rallied round to offer their services to the patients that were evacuated. But after the fire is out, getting a building back to the state where it can be used by the public is difficult enough. In a hospital the work to restore it involves a mountain of tasks including securing a reliable power source, cleaning the building from top to bottom, ensuring infection control procedures are in place, and checking and recalibrating complex machinery. This, all before patients can be re-admitted for vital and complicated procedures in the best environment possible.
We hope things are back to normal soon. For all your fire safety needs including fire extinguishers, fire blankets, fire risk assessments and fire alarms contact us at Bath & West Fire & Safety.