Decoding Hospital Evacuation Drills: Pre-movement and Movement Analysis in New Zealand

Abstract

Hospital evacuations present unique challenges due to the dependency of patients on medical staff and specialized equipment, making the process particularly complex. This study investigates the pre-movement and movement phases during hospital evacuation drills conducted in New Zealand, providing rare and valuable data that are critical for improving evacuation modeling in healthcare settings. Eight evacuation drills were conducted across various hospital units, including General Ward (GW) spaces, a Hyper Acute Stroke Unit (HASU), a High Dependency Unit (HDU), and a Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), with detailed documentation and analysis of preparation times, pre-movement times, and evacuation speeds. The results reveal significant variability in pre-movement times, heavily influenced by the specific needs of different units and the evacuation methods employed (e.g., beds, wheelchairs, walking). High-acuity units like the HDU, where patients require extensive medical support, exhibited notably longer active preparation times due to the complexity of disconnecting medical equipment. Additionally, horizontal movement speeds were slower for patients evacuated on beds compared to those using wheelchairs or walking. Given the rarity of such data and the uncertainty about the applicability of findings from other building types, this study underscores the need for tailored evacuation strategies that consider the distinct requirements of hospital environments. The findings highlight the importance of accounting for the dependencies on medical personnel and equipment, contributing to more accurate and effective evacuation planning in healthcare facilities. Further, the findings highlight the nuanced behaviours observed during healthcare evacuations, and provide valuable inputs for fire and evacuation modellers when designing for healthcare occupancies.