North York General Hospital (NYGH) values the safety of its patients, visitors, staff, physicians and volunteers. The Emergency Preparedness Committee is comprised of interdisciplinary staff members with links to external partnerships. Their role is to provide a safe environment by developing, training and testing effective emergency response procedures for all sites.
What Are emergency codes?
An emergency code is a notification of an event that requires immediate action. North York General utilizes standardized colour codes as supported by the Ontario Hospital Association. Staff, physicians and volunteers understand what each code refers to and are aware of how to respond to provide a safe environment.See the listing below for a description of our emergency codes.
Code and DefinitionsCode Black: Bomb Threat/ Suspicious package
It is North York General Hospital’s policy to provide a safe environment for all its patients/residents, visitors, families, and staff. In the event of a bomb threat, immediate action will be taken to maintain patient, visitor, staff, physician and volunteer safety; assess the threat; isolate the risk area; and eliminate the potential danger. The Code Black Plan informs staff of appropriate actions to be taken during a bomb threat emergency in order to minimize damage and disruption to the facility and personnel at all NYGH sites. North York General will work collaboratively with Toronto Police Services in the management of a Code Black emergency.
How to respond
1. Remain calm
2. Do not enter the affected area
3. If within the affected area, stay with your family/support network4. Await direction from hospital staff
To report an emergency dial 5555 from any internal hospital phone, state your location and describe your emergency.
Code Blue: Adult Cardiac Arrest
Code Blue will be called in the event of impending/actual respiratory and/or cardiac arrest in patients 18 years of age and over.
Code Brown: Hazardous Spill
NYGH is committed to protecting patients, visitors, families, staff, physicians, volunteers and property from hazardous or potentially hazardous chemical/biological spills. This policy pertains to all sites and buildings associated with North York General. Employees using hazardous chemicals are expected to be trained in safe handling, storage and disposal by their manager in consultation with the Occupational Health and Safety Department.
How to respond
1.Remain calm
2. Do not enter the affected area
3. If within the affected area, stay with your family/support network
4. Await direction from hospital staff
To report an emergency dial 5555 from any internal hospital phone, state your location and describe your emergency.
Code Green: Evacuation
NYGH is committed to providing for the safety of its patients, visitors, staff, physicians, volunteers and those people who are in the hospital when an emergency situation occurs. In the event of a hospital evacuation, decisions will be made with the focus on safety for all. The decision will include whether it is safest to move to another unit or to the outside in the event of an emergency. All NYGH employees, physicians, contractors, students and volunteers are expected to participate and follow the Code Green evacuation plan.
How to respond
1. Remain calm
2. Do not enter the affected area
3. If within the affected area, stay with your family/support network
4. Await direction from hospital staff
To report an emergency dial 5555 from any internal hospital phone, state your location and describe your emergency.
Code Grey: Loss of Essential Service
North York General Hospital is committed to providing a safe environment for its patients, visitors, staff, physicians and volunteers. In the event there is an infrastructure essential system(s) failure or loss (i.e. electricity, water, heating, medical gas, communications, etc.), or the implementation of intervention measures (i.e. air exclusion) that constitute a health or safety risk to patients, visitors, staff, physicians and volunteers, a code grey will be paged overhead.
How to respond
1. Remain calm
2. Do not open any windows and limit your movement throughout the facility
3. If able to do so, stay with your family/support network
4. Await direction from hospital staff
To report an emergency dial 5555 from any internal hospital phone, state your location and describe your emergency.
Code Orange: External Disaster
North York General( Hospital is committed to providing emergent care and treatment to casualties in an external disaster. The overall goal of a Code Orange is to:
- Enable NYGH to receive and treat a sudden influx of casualties requiring emergent treatment
- Establish triage and treatment areas to ensure incoming patients and staff are safe
- Adjust operation of hospital to increase availability of staff and beds to manage the number of casualties arriving at NYGH
- Establish an Emergency Operations Centre, as needed, to assist with meeting increased demands on the organization by being the central location to receive essential information (internally and externally) and disseminate this information appropriately
- Set up a Family Information Support Centre, as needed, that will provide support to family members of casualties of the external disaster.
How to respond
1. Remain calm
2. Do not enter the affected area
3. If able to do so, stay with your family/support network
4. Await direction from hospital staff
To report an emergency dial 5555 from any internal hospital phone, state your location and describe your emergency.
Code Pink: Paediatric Cardiac Arrest
Code Pink will be called in the event of impending/actual respiratory and/or cardiac arrest in patients 17 years of age or under.
Code Purple: Hostage Taking/Person with Weapon
North York General Hospital is committed to providing for the safety of its patients, visitors, staff, physicians, volunteers and those people who are in the hospital when an emergency situation occurs. The purpose of Code Purple is to provide a guideline to persons involved in an actual or potential hostage situation or involved with a person who has a weapon so that they may respond appropriately. Toronto Police Services will be contacted and NYGH staff, physicians and volunteers will cooperate with them.
How to respond
1. Remain calm
2. Do not enter the affected area
3. If within the affected area, stay with your family/support network
4. Await direction from hospital staff or emergency services
To report an emergency dial 5555 from any internal hospital phone, state your location and describe your emergency.
Code Red: Fire
NYGH is committed to providing a safe environment for patients, visitors, staff, physicians, volunteers and those people who are in the hospital when an emergency situation occurs. Code Red procedures have been developed to mitigate the risks associated with fire in the organization. To report an emergency dial 5555 from any internal hospital phone, state your location and describe your emergency.
If you discover a fire: REACTR
Remove those in immediate danger if possible and call out “Code Red” location for assistance.
E Ensure doors are closed to confine fire and smoke.
A Activate the fire alarm using the nearest pull station.C Call the switchboard (5555) to give exact location and nature of fire and call 911.T Try to extinguish the fire or continue to evacuate if you are not confident in your ability to put out the fire promptly.
Do not use elevators.
.
Upon hearing fire alarm:
If continuous signal:
• Leave the building by the nearest exit.
• Close doors behind you.
If intermittent signal
• Standby and prepare to leave the building.
Caution: If you encounter smoke, use an alternative exit.
Remain calm
Code White: Violent Patient
North York Genera Hospital provides a safe and secure environment for all patients, visitors and staff and will activate a plan to manage violent or potentially violent patients who are unmanageable by any other means and present a danger to self or to others.
How to respond
1.Remain calm
2. Do not enter the affected area
3. If within the affected area, stay with your family/support network4. Await direction from hospital staff
To report an emergency dial 5555 from any internal hospital phone, state your location and describe your emergency.
Code Yellow: Missing Patient
North York General Hospital is responsible for the safety of its patients/ residents and will activate a search procedure when a person is declared missing (unauthorized absence from the unit/hospital). A patient’s level of risk is assessed and a search plan is determined based upon that level of risk. Although this policy refers to patients/residents, this plan is not limited to patients/residents; it may be used to refer to missing staff, volunteers, visitors or contractors.
How to respond
1. Remain calm
2. Do not enter the affected area
3. If able to do, stay with your family/support network
4. Await direction from hospital staffTo report an emergency dial 5555 from any internal hospital phone, state your location and describe your emergency.
Code Amber: Missing Infant/Child
North York General is responsible for ensuring the safety of its patients and visitors, and will activate a search procedure when an infant/child is declared missing and/or abducted by a non-authorized person.
How to respond
1. Remain calm
2. Do not enter the affected area
3. If able to do so, stay with your family/support network
4. Await direction from hospital staff