KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia may only be seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fire safety issues in hospitals, warns Malaysian Federation for Occupational Safety and Health chairman Dr Abu Hasan Samad.
While official statistics show hundreds of hospital fire incidents over the past decade, he believes there could be more minor cases such as small sparks that did not develop into a full fire and were not recorded.
He said hospitals grapple with fire risks as they operate 24 hours a day, are packed with electrical and medical equipment, and serve large numbers of people at all times, including patients who are critically ill, caregivers and even staff.
“The impact can be very significant to not just property but also people,” he said, adding that hospital managers should have properly trained individuals, including fire marshals, at their premises.
Such individuals will be able to handle the firefighting operations, including evacuation of people.
Abu Hasan said electrical items must be properly maintained whereby technicians and electricians are called regularly to conduct checks to identify wiring problems and potential hazards.
“Preventive checks and quick repairs must be conducted and training must be provided to the staff, especially on how to deal with specific equipment,” he said.
He said hospital managers must also be committed to beefing up of safety measures and keeping their environment safe.
