Burns mass disasters in Singapore--a three decade review with implications for future planning

The main objective of this paper is to review three decades (1962-1991) of data relating to burns mass disasters in Singapore.

Records of the Burns Centre, Singapore General Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. Only patients admitted were analysed in three separate groups in relation to the cause of the burns mass casualties and place of occurrence.

Patient selection was based on O'ya's criteria of burns mass disaster and were grouped into separate decades: Group A (1962-71), Group B (1972-81) and Group C (1982-91).

Data collected will provide useful information on high risk sources, patterns and trends of burns mass disasters in Singapore.

The data will provide the facts and will have implications for future planning and organisation of burn treatment facilities.

There were 17 burns mass casualties and 257 patients admitted. The largest single admission was 76 in 1978. Group A had four, Group B had two and Group C had eleven disasters. Explosions (66%) and fires (30%) were the main causes of burns. The predominant place of occurrence in Group A patients was outdoor injuries (78%), Group B was work environment (100%) and Group C was evenly spread out: work environment (55%), indoors (36%) and outdoor (9%). Shipyards and fires were the largest sources of burns mass disasters. Other potential sources identified include hazardous materials, petrochemical industries, aviation industries, mass rapid transit train system, high rise fires, shopping complexes and imported disasters.

The recommendation is to plan and reorganise burn treatment facilities. This is to cope with existing pattern, frequency and projected patterns of burn mass disasters which have occurred in other highly urbanised and populated countries.