Unpreventable Risks

Unpreventable risks include "acts of God," acts of war, and any other risks that arise from forces beyond the control of the health care provider. The provider is not legally liable for these risks, if reasonable precautions have been taken to mitigate their consequences. In most cases, this simply involves following the appropriate fire/safety codes in building and maintaining the facility. There should also be some type of evacuation plan for the hospital and arrangements for transferring patients to other facilities. While ensuring against these fire/safety risks is a proper part of a quality control plan, they are beyond the scope of this discussion.