Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report for Massachusetts: Two Hospital Workers Die when a Motor Vehicle Crashes into a Hospital Lobby

摘要

On October 15, 2007, a 58-year-old male physician (victim 1) and a 59-year-old female receptionist (victim 2) were fatally injured when a motor vehicle driven by an elderly patient crashed into their workplace, a hospital-based radiation therapy unit. The driver of the motor vehicle entered a pedestrian walkway after failing to negotiate a turn in the hospital's driveway. The vehicle then crashed through two sets of glass doors and entered the radiation therapy unit's lobby. The car came to rest after striking the lobby reception desk. A total of four workers were struck in the collision. The two victims were pinned on the floor by the vehicle and pieces of debris. The two injured co-workers were pinned against the wall behind the lobby desk. Calls were placed to emergency medical services (EMS) and fire and police were dispatched to the scene within minutes. Hospital medical staff and EMS were on-scene immediately after the crash. The two victims and the two injured co-workers were extracted from the debris and treated in the hospital's emergency room. The physician was pronounced dead an hour after the incident in the hospital's emergency room. The receptionist was transported to a regional level one trauma center where she was pronounced dead later that same day. The two injured co-workers were treated at the hospital where the incident took place and then released. The Massachusetts FACE Program concluded that to prevent similar occurrences in the future, employers and property managers should: (1) Evaluate the layout of parking lots and driveways to determine locations susceptible to damage from vehicle intrusion; (2) Consider installing exterior perimeter security barriers to protect employees and minimize building and structural damage from vehicle intrusion; and (3) Evaluate and modify interior floor plans to protect employees from vehicle intrusion.