Surgical Fire Prevention Toolkit

The Joint Commission (TJC) discusses the identified root causes of surgical fires. The sentinel alert also examines surgical fire risk reduction strategies and prevention recommendations.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends these best practices to reduce the risk of fires occurring during surgical procedures.

Planning and conducting an OR fire drill is essential for the safety of patients, staff and physicians. This Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN)-produced resource provides instructions to assist surgical staff members in planning and conducting OR fire drills.

The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) discusses 12 different fire drill scenarios that may be used for conducting fire drills in the surgical area.

Evaluations should follow all fire drills to document improvement and safety. The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) provides a useful fire drill evaluation tool for use by healthcare facilities.

The article discusses surgical fire prevention and measures to mitigate risks.

The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) recommends completing this fire prevention assessment protocol prior to any surgical procedure. The protocol contains a risk assessment and interventions based on the assessment and surgical procedure.

The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) encourages surgical staff members to use this OR fire prevention algorithm poster. The information can be posted in highly visible areas of the surgical suite.

The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN's) comprehensive surgical checklist offers recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and The Joint Commission (TJC), including best practices when performing surgical procedures.

The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) fire risk assessment tool is recommended for use during the time-out process prior to surgical procedures.

The HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE) gives healthcare providers access to many fire risk assessment tools that can be utilized in surgical areas.

This fire risk assessment tool is embedded in the universal protocol process that should be conducted prior to surgical procedures.

The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) provides quick tips on how to prevent surgical fires in the OR. The information can be posted in highly visible areas of the surgical suite.

This 2019 article from the peer-reviewed publication Anesthesiology provides information on the three ingredients for fire, their sources in the surgical suite and expert-recommended training on rapid extinguishment of a fire.

Each surgical area should have designated team members with defined responsibilities to fulfill if a fire occurs. This resource by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) provides a detailed list of defined responsibilities, making it easier to designate each role.

Using lasers safely in the surgical area is vital for patient and staff member safety. This sample laser safety policy was created by Duke University Medical Center.

The Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) presents a guide on laser safety best practices.

The AANA is a great resource for nurse anesthetists and the website provides patient safety topics related to the operating room.

The AORN is a great resource of operating room nurses and the website provides patient safety topics related to the operating room.

The APSF is a great resource for Anesthesia providers and the website provides patient safety topics related to the operating room.

The CSPS provides great resources for bringing the surgical team together to improve patient safety.

The FDA provides great resourfes in patient safety related to food, drugs, medical devices, radiation-emitting products, vaccines, blood and biologics, animal & veterinary, cosmetics and tobacco products.

The NFPA provides great resources in fire safety and prevention including electrical safety to hazardous materials, community risk reduction and public safety.