Health facility seismic vulnerability evaluation: a handbook

Given the importance of an efficient response to emergencies and the need for a functional health care infrastructure in the aftermath of a disaster, hospital administrators must assess a facility’s vulnerability to earthquakes and obtain estimates of existing risk levels in order to ensure a proper response to emergency needs. A reliable and comprehensive hospital assessment can be carried out only by taking into account all three main vulnerability categories - structural, non-structural and administrative/organizational - in that order.