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Health Care Premises - Linac

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Paul1979
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Health Care Premises - Linac

Post by Paul1979 »

Looking for advice from any health care fire specialists please!

Does a linac bunker have to be compartmented? or is it subject to risk assessment when completed? The design of the plans I'm looking at is not of a maze type linac, but of an open plan with two massive [what appear to be concrete] doors which are operated with electronic power mechanisms. The doors cannot be opened by human hand!

The linac in question is not directly along a means of escape. So, if the linac catches fire, occupants can turn away and head towards an alternate escape exit.

Not seen one of these before in my limited experience of health care premises so just wondered what the experts think!?
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Re: Health Care Premises - Linac

Post by Waterbaby »

Bump ./thumbsup..

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Re: Health Care Premises - Linac

Post by Messy »

I have to say I had never heard of a Linac Bunker, but my old mate Google informs me they are of a similar design to some technical areas on the estate I look after in terms of providing radiation shielding. However, our shielded doors are easily openable by hand.

And this is the crux of your question. Can persons inside escape if necessary?

Ideally there would be a manual override which disengages the electrical operation and allows the door to be freely opened. But an electrical operation could be feasible if the supply was very resilient. I posted recently that we have sliding doors a heavily used escape routes (c 400 persons each exit). The doors have two independent power supplies in fire resistant cabling. Then the doors are backed up to be building's UPS and if it all goes very wrong, an internal battery UPS on each door takes over. The last action of that battery before it dies is that it opens the sliding doors.

It seems to me - from a position of being competent in fire safety, but ignorant in the world Linac Bunkers - that a similar arrangement could be feasible for the bunker door. Of course, an interlock shutting down the radiation source before the door is opened would need to be considered, especially as the design is open planned and not doglegged.

The NHS have a huge range of Healthcare Technical Memorandums (HTM) which provide fire safety advice. I have Googled to research if there's an HTM on bunkers, but have had no luck.

You really must take professional advise here as getting the means of escape wrong during the design stage may cost a lot of cash to fix later

Good luck
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Paul1979
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Re: Health Care Premises - Linac

Post by Paul1979 »

Thanks Messy
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