Fire can happen everywhere and imagine the chaos that it can inflict when it occurs in operating rooms in hospitals. Although hospital fires in operating rooms are quite rare, it is still considered as a form of surgery risk. The presence of flammable materials such as oxygen tanks is enough for fire fighters to be wary of its possibility.

This is one of the reasons why hospital administrators must give importance to fire safety training for their workers. They need to fully understand the elements of a fire triangle, what steps to take in case a fire occurs. Knowing the necessary actions they need to prioritize when it happens during an on-going surgery will ensure that they will minimize any damage that can befall the patient and the staff at the same time.

Hospital personnel should be aware of fire safety guidelines especially when you are in life-threatening situations like being in an operating room. It is very important to remember not to keep away from each other the basic components of a fire triangle, which are fuel, air, and heat. Most materials in the operating room consist of these elements and inappropriate handling of these materials will lead to fire accidents.

It is a fact that prevention is always better than cure. Performing fire safety measures inside the operating room must strictly be followed. In any case, firefighting devices are available to ensure that small fires can immediately be put out. The presence of fire extinguishers in these areas would greatly aid in stopping the fire from escalating into full-blown fires. There are different types of fire extinguishers you can choose use such as water fire extinguishers, powder fire extinguishers, C02 fire extinguishers and foam fire extinguishers.

In an operative environment, C02 extinguishers are recommended. Although it is also extremely important that you possess other types of fire extinguishers so you can properly diffuse different types of fires appropriately and efficiently. It is not enough that you simply install fire extinguishers in the area. A regular check up on its expiration date should be done so as not to be caught with a faulty fire-fighting device when it is extremely needed. Try leaning which type of fire extinguisher to use. You might end up fueling up the fire instead of diffusing it when you use the wrong type.

Surgery risks are great already coming from the procedure itself even before surgical intubation begins and therefore it is also equally important to prevent any form of danger from adding in. Remember that it is an oxygen-enriched environment and so it is very susceptible to fire. Education is key to prevent fire from happening or escalating. The OR staff and personnel must be trained to lessen the possibility of surgical fire. The right prepping up before the surgical procedure is important as it can help identify if the surgery risk is high for the possibility of a fire starting. This is also they way of making sure proper fire preventive measures are taken to minimize the risks.