Assessment of evacuation devices used in South African hospitals

Evacuating a hospital during a fire emergency presents unique challenges that require well-defined procedures and comprehensive planning. One significant challenge is evacuating people with mobility impairments, which can be difficult for patients, staff, and other evacuees during emergencies. Current hospital emergency preparedness strategies primarily rely on procedural documentation rather than hands-on, scenariobased training. This study investigates both the performance of evacuation devices and the preparedness of healthcare personnel in managing such scenarios. To measure device performance, practical evacuation drills were carried out. Data was collected from 16 drill trials in which an 80kg mannequin was evacuated through 5 floors of the Tygerberg Medical Campus Educational Building. In the drills, three common devices were used: a stretcher, an evacuation chair, and an evacuation sheet. The performance of male and female teams was then measured by recording how long they took to prepare each device, their horizontal speed, and their vertical speed. A performance evaluation metric was developed to allow direct comparison of each device’s efficiency. Complementing these quantitative trials, an online survey was conducted to assess staff awareness, training frequency, and perceived preparedness for emergency evacuations. Results showed that male teams were, on average, 13% faster in preparing the devices and maintained a similar advantage during horizontal movement with the stretcher and evacuation chair. Female teams, however, outperformed male teams by 11% when using the evacuation sheet. For vertical movement, male teams were 29% faster on average. Although the evacuation sheet demonstrated the best overall speed for both groups, participants rated it as the least safe for patient transport. Consequently, the evacuation chair was identified as the most efficient and safest device, followed by the stretcher and, lastly, the drag sheet. The study also found that while many hospitals possess evacuation devices, staff are not always trained to operate them. Private hospitals generally provide more practical training and equipment, while public hospitals face limitations due to funding and management challenges. Together, these findings provide a detailed understanding of hospital evacuation performance and highlight opportunities to improve both staff preparedness and equipment use during fire emergencies.

Grantor dc:publisher

Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Mhandire, Mirandah Anesu

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Flores-Quiroz, Natalia

Language dc:language.iso

en

Repository record dc:identifier.uri

https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136230

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136230