Water safety planning for healthcare facilities for extreme events

Autor: Steffen Krause, Elena Joel, Christian Schaum, Jan Bäumer, Nadine Rücker, Ina Wienand, Christoph Sturm, Bernhard Jahn-Mühl, Manuel Geiger, Alexander Fekete, Sophie van der Heijden, Christine Heinzel, Simone Sandholz
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Water and Health, Vol 22, Iss 1, Pp 77-96 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1477-8920
1996-7829
DOI: 10.2166/wh.2023.102
Popis: Disasters such as the Ahr Valley flood in 2021 make us aware of the importance of functioning healthcare facilities. Their functionality depends on the availability of drinking water. Water safety planning is a long-established method to increase the safety of water utilities. Our work supports the implementation of water safety planning in healthcare facilities during normal operations and emergency situations concerning the water supply. The authors conducted a stakeholder mapping exercise and problem awareness analysis. Based on these results, it was identified what is needed to overcome barriers to water safety planning (WSP). Building on existing procedures, the WSP concept, and latest scientific findings, an event-specific risk assessment method for healthcare facilities was developed and applied in a case study. Based on an analysis of water demand, water-related processes, and infrastructure, potentially necessary components for establishing an emergency supply were identified. For these, based on technical and legal requirements, planning principles were developed, and prototypes of components for emergency water supply were built. They were tested in pilot trials, particularly regarding hygienic safety. For the management of crises in hospitals, a survey was carried out on the command structures used in practice. Finally, recommendations were drawn based on the German Hospital Incident Command System. HIGHLIGHTS Detailed insights into the requirements of hospital water supply including stakeholder mapping.; Development of a methodology for an event-specific risk assessment supported by provision of an Excel-based tool.; Presentation of an emergency response plan and an exercise concept for securing the water supply of hospitals.; Development of technical components for the various processes of water supply in emergencies.;
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