Hi,

Would like input on individual Hospital's Disaster plans. Our hospital is 230 beds with a larger trauma center a block away. We have a plan for local disaster but not one for our hospital if the Blodd Bank had a disaster and was not functional. Any resources out there I could access? Or any procedures? Thank you. JEA

AABB has a recommended plan available to members on their website. I am at home right now and don't have it on my home computer, but it is a .pdf file that can really help you.

BC

My apologies for referencing an old post, but is there anyone willing to share what plan they have in place for a disaster in the blood bank specifically. For instance, if there were a disaster within the department and/or the blood bank was not functional? Thanks in advance!

This is the type of procedure that would be unique to each Blood Bank; you have to make up a plan made for your specific design and situation. You need an internal disaster plan that includes a relocation of your Blood Bank operation, including:

Move of blood products (emergency power requirements, in a secured area...)

Move of manuals/records (are your procedures online and available on other computers?)

Move of operations (how to perform testing elsewhere)

Resources (blood, more staffing, communication, etc)

At my previous hospital we had a "disaster box", a plastic container with everything needed to set up a functional Blood Bank elsewhere (test tubes, gloves, rack, etc) with a list taped to the top of the box of reagents/equipment needed that couldn't be in the box. We performed a disaster drill: the scenario was that there was an explosion in the Lab and we had less than 10 minutes to evacuate. We came up with a disaster plan, made the disaster box, and quickly grabbed a centrifuge and reagents, etc. Our Helmer refrigerator is on wheels so we unplugged it with the blood supply in it and rolled it to the ER, where we set up an interim Blood Bank. The battery backup lasted until we got there with plenty of battery left. It was actually fun, and we were pretty proud that we were completely set up in the ER ready to go in about 10 minutes.

So have a brainstorming session with your staff...what would happen if...fire in the Lab, flood in the Lab...how would we get the blood out, where would we go, how would we communicate with each other and the blood center?

Terri--I was just talking to someone about getting a BB  disaster plan in place.  Your ideas are wonderful.  (Thanks yet again!!)

Terri, that's great stuff. I will have to expand our plan to include IF you have 10 minutes. Our fridge is not on wheels, however, and we're in the basement with no ED, OR etc on that level to move to. One problem I see with the pack-'em-up-and-take-it-with-you plan is that when it comes time to evacuate, they generally want you out NOW. Which is what happened to us several years ago when we had a real fire in the basement. As we sat in the parking lot, it occured to me that if anyone needed blood right then they were in trouble. No one did, and we got back in after 3 hours.

So I made our current plan: If we have to evacuate, we pack up coolers with 8 O RBC. We have an envelope with downtime transfusion forms and emergency release forms next to the coolers. We can get out the door with this stuff in a minute, after which we set up shop in the OR until we can go home. If there's not even enough time to pack the blood, we grab the envelope and order RBCs from our blood center which is 20 minutes down the road.

 

Terri, that's great stuff. I will have to expand our plan to include IF you have 10 minutes. Our fridge is not on wheels, however, and we're in the basement with no ED, OR etc on that level to move to. One problem I see with the pack-'em-up-and-take-it-with-you plan is that when it comes time to evacuate, they generally want you out NOW. Which is what happened to us several years ago when we had a real fire in the basement. As we sat in the parking lot, it occured to me that if anyone needed blood right then they were in trouble. No one did, and we got back in after 3 hours.

So I made our current plan: If we have to evacuate, we pack up coolers with 8 O RBC. We have an envelope with downtime transfusion forms and emergency release forms next to the coolers. We can get out the door with this stuff in a minute, after which we set up shop in the OR until we can go home. If there's not even enough time to pack the blood, we grab the envelope and order RBCs from our blood center which is 20 minutes down the road.

Great plan! I like the envelope with the necessary forms ready to go. And yes, they do want you out immediately. So any plan is just that. But if I don't see flames, I'm probably going to try to do something quick to make sure we can still take care of our patients. We're lucky that we are about 10 steps from an external door that goes outside, not so lucky that our blood supplier is 2 hours away.

Awesome feedback, thanks!

There was another discussion on this topic maybe a year or so ago.  If you can find that discussion there were some great suggestions.  I recall Mabel Adams posting some good information and a checklist.