LVR Klinikum Düsseldorf
Sophisticated fire protection planning for the new clinic building
Thomas Hallen is the coordinator for occupational safety and fire protection at the LVR Klinikum in Düsseldorf. A responsible task, because he ensures, among other things, that more than a thousand employees and hundreds of patients can safely leave the building in the event of a fire. He creates the necessary fire protection concept with TENADO PROTECT – and has been doing so for many years. The current new building presents him with very special challenges.
Get to know the project and Thomas Hallen in the video!
A fire protection concept for complex requirements
The buildings of the LVR Klinikum can look back on more than 140 years of history. The new building on the site, which is intended to create more than 300 new treatment places, poses a complex challenge.
The diagnostic, therapy and research center is currently under construction and should be operational by 2020 at the latest.
The barrier-free new building in the passive house standard is not only large, but also quite nested and should fulfill several functions. In addition to various wards with wards, the premises also house laboratories for biochemistry and histology, radiology, neuropsychiatry, physical therapy and social services.
The challenge for the fire protection concept: It must meet the specifications and requirements of the various building functions, be barrier-free and flexibly adaptable during the construction phase.
The key to more flexibility: reference plans
Because the new house is still in the planning stage and neither the floor plan nor the use of individual areas have been finally determined, the fire protection plans have to be adjusted again and again. In addition, the building is so complex that it cannot be shown on a plan. So Thomas Hallen works with partial sections where connections and the floor plan have to be right at all times. This results in a particularly high number of plans, which should always be up-to-date and comparable.
Reference plans offer the perfect solution for this. Thomas Hallen creates them with TENADO PROTECT. Based on a basic plan, daughter and grandchild plans are created that show relevant sections of the basic plan. In the event of changes, Thomas Hallen makes adjustments to the basic plan, which are automatically transferred to the affected partial plans. This saves time and offers planning security. With five storeys and two parts of the building, this really makes work easier.
Accessibility in a nested building: A challenge for every firefighter
The special requirements of a clinic also require well thought-out planning. Barrier-free escape and rescue routes are fulfilled on site by markings within the framework of DIN 18040 in coordination with the specifications of the regional association. Public areas are marked with tactile surfaces, attention fields and handrails with Braille. TENADO PROTECT contains a large number of current symbols to represent barrier-free escape and rescue routes. Dynamic wheelchair users or combined escape route signs – the possibility of working not only with visual and tactile signs, but also with barrier-free signs is practical for Thomas Hallen.
In an emergency, every patient must be able to leave closed wards without help
The sheltered wards in which mentally ill patients are housed pose further challenges. For their own protection, these areas must be kept partially closed and separated from open areas. In the event of an emergency, Thomas Hallen is preparing a clearing and evacuation concept, according to which people can be safely moved from one part of the building to another.
For early fire detection, the building is comprehensively monitored for fire alarms. Smoke detectors in the ceilings report the development of a fire. The moment the fire alarm system goes off, doors that may have been closed up until then open and the previously developed concept comes into play. If in doubt, anyone can leave the affected areas without outside help.
TENADO PROTECT also has the right tools for such extensive planning tasks. The symbol library contains symbols for smoke detectors, various doors are available to choose from, and uncomplicated marking with colors or text fields provides an overview. For Thomas Hallen, TENADO PROTECT is therefore the perfect partner when it comes to fire protection planning.
"Anyone who can draw on paper can easily do it with TENADO PROTECT. The software simply has a high level of functionality and is up-to-date in terms of the pictograms and the current DIN standards.” Thomas Hallen
Thomas Hallen
The LVR Clinic in Figures
Thomas Hallen
Thomas Hallen has been responsible for security at the LVR Klinikum since 1999. After training as a carpenter in 1982 and a trip to the field of occupational therapy, his work with the company fire brigade led him to his current position.
In addition to the classic escape and rescue plans, Thomas Hallen creates object plans for the fire brigade, floor plans and individual plans. From the site plan for waste disposal to conversion plans for colleagues, Thomas Hallen is experienced in using TENADO PROTECT and makes full use of the CAD functions. It’s no wonder that it’s particularly easy for him. He has been using TENADO software since 2005.
The LVR Clinic in Figures
- 707 inpatient and semi-inpatient treatment places
- The clinic has 132 places in several day clinics and a large number of outpatient clinics
- More than 1,200 employees take care of the patients and ensure that everything runs smoothly
- The clinic provides compulsory psychiatric and psychotherapeutic care for 520,000 of Düsseldorf’s 600,000 residents
