8 minute read
Editorial
FIRE!
It took a brush with catastrophe to get me to focus on the need to be prepared to prevent and manage a fire emergency in the office.
Backing up your office computer data and encompassing your practice management software, your imaging software and everything your office needs to treat patients and do business are essential, for you never know when a disaster might strike, making it crucial to have daily backups of electronic records and office data, preferably both cloud and physical storage. One very prudent recommendation offered to me by the New York City Small Business Service grant program after Hurricane Sandy destroyed my office 13 years ago was to have a battery backup system in my newly built office. This would improve resiliency during a power outage, I was told.
Two uninterrupted power supply (UPS) battery backup units were approved for my office. My computer server was attached to one of them; my alarm, video and phone system were attached to the other. These backups would provide around 20 minutes of continuous power should the electricity fail. Some beneficial examples of how helpful these UPS battery backups are:
• If the alarm system lost power due to criminal activity or power failure, the backup would kick in.
• During a brownout or blackout, your computer system would not lose power and could be shut down safely.
• In the event of a short-term power loss or transient electrical fault, you would not have any significant disruption.
Last month, as I was administrating local anesthesia to my patient in preparation for dental implant surgery, my front desk secretary nervously interrupted me with a whispered, “There is a horrible smell up front, like a fire!” Excusing myself, I ran down the hallway where the acrid smell of smoke assaulted my senses. Delegating tasks, I had one of my employees go out to the front of the office and one to the back garage to see if there were any fires in those directions. Searching each room for signs of fire or smoke didn’t turn up anything. My office has no gas and runs on electricity, so I went to the circuit breaker panel to see if any switches had tripped and even switched them off then on but found no issues.
Circling back to the waiting room, I noticed a patient wrinkling their nose in response to the noxious fumes. That is when one of my secretaries said the phones and entrance video were down. This somehow jogged my memory of our battery backup that was connected to the downed phone and video system. Racing into my office, I saw smoldering smoke wafting up from the UPS battery backup located at the far corner. I immediately unplugged it and carried the heated machine out the front door, as thoughts of exploding lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes and scooters raced through my mind. I set it down and retreated, as it continued to smolder for hours. I then opened the door to my office, turned up the fan and air purifiers and ventilated the office. In under half an hour, the smell was gone, and I was even able to continue treating my patients.
Thankfully, we were present when the battery backup experienced a thermal event, otherwise my office might have been destroyed. I called the manufacturer and asked many questions about how this could have happened. They assured me the battery was a sealed lead acid battery and not a lithium-ion. The company’s tech told me these units have a seven-year life span. After that, they should be replaced, as electronic parts and internal components begin to degrade. Though the battery backup was well past warranty, just over five years old, it was still within the seven-year lifespan.
The technician wanted to know how many devices and what types of devices were plugged in, since overloading could also cause this type of problem. He also wanted to know where the unit was kept, because it is important to station it in a well-ventilated area. After expressing my concern about my office’s safety and what transpired, the company, as a one-time goodwill gesture, since the unit was out of warranty, offered to send me a new one.
In her review “The Best Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS),”[1] Sarah Witman gives several great recommendations for maintaining the battery backup, such as using it with the proper appliances, since high-power electronics can “damage its internal components and degrade its battery.” She advises at no time should it be plugged into a surge protector or a surge protector plugged into it. Neither should it be plugged into an extension cord, which can cause a meltdown, triggering an accidental fire.
You may have noticed some of your products are certified by UL (Underwriters Laboratories). “… UL Solutions helps companies to demonstrate safety, enhance sustainability, strengthen security, deliver quality, manage risk and achieve regulatory compliance.”[2]
UL Standards and Engagement is a global safety organization owned by Underwriters Laboratories to “develop and publish consensus standards that help guide the safety, performance, and sustainability of new and evolving products, technologies, and services that range from household appliances, smoke alarms, and batteries to building materials, cybersecurity, and autonomous vehicles.”[3] They have developed around 1,700 different standards.
I contacted UL, which had certified this particular battery backup, and let them know what had happened. An investigator was assigned to me; however, she couldn’t do an evaluation since I had disposed of the unit which they wanted to test. The investigator called me and went over the process UL takes to ensure compliance by their customers. She explained that UL evaluates the construction of the battery backup, reviewing and testing for standardized requirements. If it passes, it receives the UL mark. UL also makes regular visits to the manufacturer to see if the manufacturer is following standards and line tests samples on the production line that the company provides.[4]
The whole experience made me think dentists should never overlook fire safety in their offices. Some things you should check regularly are to make sure fire/smoke/carbon monoxide alarms are functioning. Do you have a sprinkler system and is that maintained? Are annual evaluations of your fire extinguishers performed and are your emergencyexit lights operational?
Every dental office should have yearly fire safety training that includes reviewing the locations of fire extinguishers and learning how and when they should be employed. A posted emergency evacuation plan diagram and annual fire drills are also recommended. In a great article on fire safety in the dental office by Warren et al., the authors discuss the need for risk assessment, fire precautions, when to raise the alarm and having an emergency exit plan, among other recommendations.[5]
As per OSHA, a written (if over 10 employees) and oral fire prevention plan must be in place,[6,7] and the ADA recommends periodic training.[8]
Lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes and scooters have been reported to overheat, start devastating fires and even explode.[9] These fires could affect your office and home. According to data on the New York City Fire Department website, in 2023 lithium-ion batteries caused 268 fires. It may be good practice to ban storing these modes of transportation in your office.
FDNY offers free fire safety publications online.[10,11] I urge my colleagues to take advantage of this resource for fire safety, fluency and preparedness. But keep in mind that fires can also be triggered by dental equipment during procedures and when using oxygen.[12]
Sitting on the floor of my private office in a sealed box is my new battery backup unit. Granted the thermal event experienced by my previous battery backup was rare, I still hesitate to employ this brand-new unit, and it didn’t help hearing about a recent airline carrier that has stopped allowing passengers to store their portable chargers in closed carry on bags and overhead bins, “to more quickly access a smoking or flaming device before it becomes a bigger problem.”[13]
Since the incident in my office, we have reviewed our fire safety training and run fire drills; we know how to handle ourselves and our patients during a stressful, possibly dangerous situation. And I keep in mind what one of my firefighter patients advised: If you can’t quickly contain the fire, then call for help, evacuate and leave the fire fighting to the professionals.
REFERENCES
1. https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-uninterruptible-power-supply-ups/.
5. Warren E, McAuliffe M. Fire safety in the dental practice: a literature review. J Ir Dent Assoc 2011 Dec-2012 Jan;57(6):311-5.
6. https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.39.
7. https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/2019-03/fireprotection.pdf.
10. https://www.nyc.gov/site/fdny/codes/reference/lithium-ion-battery-safety.page.
12. VanCleave AM, Jones JE, McGlothlin JD, Saxen MA, Sanders BJ, Walker LA. Factors involved in dental surgery fires: a review of the literature. Anesth Prog 2014 Spring;61(1):21-5.
