Fire Protection
All health care facilities must be equipped with a fire protection system. The fundamental
elements of such a system include smoke detectors, alarms, a sprinkler system,
and automatically closing doors to contain the fire. The hospital staff must have an
established evacuation plan for patients and staff. Several operating room fires occur
each year. The combination of an oxygen-enriched atmosphere, fuel source (e.g.,
drapes, endotracheal tubes, and the patient) and ignition source( e.g., electrosurgical
units and lasers) have produced catastrophic fires (de Richmond and Bruley, 1993;
NFPA, 1994).