Resource Library

This eBook features a collection of articles describing extreme weather events that have affected health care facilities across the country.

This supplement focuses on the roles of two leaders—the Facility Engineer and the Infection Preventionist—and how they can collaborate in all mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery stages.

Free PDF: A Back-to-Basics Approach to Infection Control and Emergency Management for Health Care Facilities

Help prepare your facility for adverse weather-related events through this article and adverse weather checklist available to ASHE members.

A step-by-step guide for developing a comprehensive integrated fire protection and life safety inspection, testing and maintenance (ITM) program for health care facilities. This timely publication will support facilities managers ahead of CMS’s adoption of NFPA 101-2018 (or later), which will require integrated life safety ITM for all high-rise buildings.

Get insights into the regulatory requirements and maintenance recommendations for smoke control systems in hospitals.

The pre-disaster self-assessment consists of an assessment of critical infrastructure and an estimate of evacuation time.

This downloadable Word document is a policy on maintaining utility system drawings and documents to aid in the shutdown process during emergencies. DOWNLOAD NOW

Monday, May 22, 2017Speaker: Susan McLaughlin, MBA, FASHE, CHFM, CHSP, Chief Operating Officer, MSL Healthcare Partners

Lessons learned from previous disasters, explains how to assess vulnerabilities, and suggests new ways to safeguard emergency power through new technologies, innovative protocols, and information sharing.

Recorded October 24, 2016Speaker: Jonathan Flannery, MHSA, CHFM, FASHE, FACHE, Senior Associate Director of Advocacy for the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE)

Recorded October 27, 2016Speakers: Joe Fiorito, Caterpillar Inc., Electric Power Division, Rental Manager; Ben Thomas, Caterpillar Inc., Electric Power Division, North American Product Support ManagerA well-designed emergency power system is a quality asset to health care facilities by providing uninterrupted patient care and comfort during routine power outages, as well as through unplanned outages. This webinar will cover disaster preparedness, contingency and emergency response plans, and emergency system maintenance considerations.

Developed by a group of experts, this Excel file can be used by health care organizations to assess their vulnerabilities and help manage their emergency preparedness programs. ASHE members are permitted to adapt this Excel tool for use at their facilities. Below is the Excel file and a PDF showing sample results. (To use the Excel file, delete the sample data from the Data Entry sheet and enable the macros to create the rest of the information based on your data.)

Use this HVA tool to assist your multidisciplinary group in assessing and prioritizing exercises for potential hazards/risk.

The emergency power supply system (EPSS) is a critical hospital system, and its failure to function in a power outage can have tragic results. Not all authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) look at documentation of weekly inspections. Nonetheless, a weekly visual inspection is highly recommended.This checklist is based on charts in the Annex of the 2013 edition of NFPA 110: Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems.

A sprinkler system can be complex with many different zones and valves. Some of those valves may be easily to locate. Others may be in more obscure locations. If there is a inadvertent sprinkler activation, or when maintenance or system modifications are being performed, it is imperative that sprinkler system valves be properly identified and can be quickly located.There are many forms of documentation that can help manage this process including accurate drawings, valve charts, valve identification tags or labels or other documentation for the sprinkler system.

Lessons learned from the perspective of health care facility managers, clinicians, and executive staffSpeaker: ASHEIn 2011 a tornado in Joplin, Missouri, devastated a community, including Mercy hospital. Mercy’s incredible story offers an opportunity to assess your facility’s emergency preparedness and to use their lessons learned to better prepare for potential future emergencies.