Healthcare facilities must have an emergency management program with specific responses to likely disasters in writing. Consider the potential emergencies and how the disaster could impact the organization’s ability to provide care. Disasters to consider include:
1. Meteorological disasters like cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes, tornadoes, hailstorms, snowstorms and droughts.
2. Topological disasters like landslides or avalanches.
3. Underground originating disasters like earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.
4. Biological disasters like communicable disease epidemics and insect swarms.
5. Human-generated disasters like warfare and non-conventional warfare, including nuclear, chemical and biological warfare.
6. Civil disasters like riots and demonstrations or strikes.
7. Criminal and terrorist actions like bomb threats, hostage incidents and biological attacks.
8. Accidents like transportation crashes, structural collapses — including bridges or dams — and explosions.
9. Electrical system failures.
10. Infectious disease pandemics like influenza or ebola.
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