Nurses' Home At Tauranga Hospital Constitutes The Main Fire Hazard

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 15059, 20 August 1949, Page 3

Nurses' Home At Tauranga Hospital Constitutes The Main Fire Hazard

RD SUPERINTENDENT RECOMMENDS B ° ' IMPROVEMENTS

*h* orinion that the Nurses' Home, being a two storeycd j- and the sleeping quarters of almost the entire nursing bui i nstituted the main fire hazard of the hospital buildings, staff. c 0 ed wMr A. Stewart, Superintendent of the TauwaS eX |re Board in a report to the Tauranga Hospital Board. raDga ThP report was furnished at the request of the Hospital i nt a recent meeting, when members asked the superinB a t and the Fire Board electricians to inspct the hospital tendent a fire fighting . equipment and fire hazards. It was rc-aS-rTat the monthly meeting on Thursday. % inerintendent Stewart made recommendations to the ■I regarding the Nurses' Home block which the board unB° giy agreed to carry out. The report stated that conthe remainder of the hospital buildings, the fire fighting Cen ?iment was adequate and there were no hazards.

L. rprommendations made by l The Sendent and electricians, I e S fZ he Placing of a fire-proof I clU S d the corridor connecting the i or m A new wings of the Nurses' Id and "S one could be isolated W m lZ other in the event of fire. lf m ?a so recommended that King doors be placed in the Icorridors of the new wing lee u stairs and two downIE in suggested positions, m an ■favour to prevent a rapid spread i d fi?e by draught, should a fire ISii' the fire escape ladders on If block were condemned by Kner n endent Stewart as being ■Sous. They were at present Rfteep and too narrow. He adKated at least a nine-inch tread I he stairways, which should be ■ « longer angle and have plenty ■ space at the foot ft Stewart pointed out that at K<;ent it would be very possib e I-a nurse to sprain an ankle Kile descending the narrow steps Kto fall If that occurred the Kltant danger to those following Buld be very real. ■Mr Stewartr strongly condemned He practice of some nurses in erect■/short clothes lines from their Broom windows across to the Hi of the fire escapes. In the event ■ fire he said, these would be a Brious hazard and retard escape Km the building. He also pointed Hit that at no time should doors ftding from the. building to the Re escape or the outside, he locked. ■A suggestion from the engineer ■d secretary of the Hospital Board ■at direct alarms to the fire Rtion should be installed at con■nient positions in the hospital Bounds, was endorsed by Mr ■swart This, he said, would save ■nsiderable time in telephoning for He brigade, and he would investiHtc to see what could be done about

connecting the alarms. The number of types of existing fire extinguishers throughout the hospital were satisfactory, but hydraulic reels were recommended in the Nurses' block in place of the existing arrangements. This, it was stated, would greatly facilitate the rapid handling of the hoses there. Other recommendations made in the report included the use of thermostatic electric irons, the placing of fire bells in all wards and all parts of the Nurses' home, with the alarm switches clearly marked in red. It was also suggested that the alarm bell at the main entrance to the hospital should beput in a more suitable place and thin glass alarm boxes fixed to all alarms. Mr L. R. Wilkinson moved that all the recommendations made by the superintendent, should be carried out as soon as possible. "We cannot take too many precautions over fire risks," he commented, adding that if a fire did occur, the board members would regret deeply if all possible steps had not been taken to reduce the risk to nurses and patients. In seconding the motion of Mr Wilkinson, Miss M. W. Stewart suggested that fire drill should be undertaken by the nurses. Dr Sligo, medical superintendent, said that had been considered last year. With changing staff and different people in the building and off duty, he did not think much would ■be gained. Mr Wilkinson pointed but that too much organisation in such matters might lead to inefficiency if the organised staff did not happen to be present. A certain amount of elementary drill might be a .good thing. The resolution, that the recommendations of the report should be oxecuted in full, was carried unanimously by the board.