How to Make a Fire Evacuation Plan
Every company policy contains rules and regulations not only to let employees know what they should and should not do in the office, but it also protects them from anything that could bring them harm or at the very least prepare them for it. So, in the event of dangerous situations, one must know the proper procedures that will guide everyone to safety. You may also see plan samples.
However, nobody will be able to understand what to do if there is no well-made sample plan that outlines the details of what needs to be done to escape, avoid, or even prevent danger. This is especially the case if a fire were to happen in the office and not a single person understands what to do first. This is why companies have fire evacuation plans and this article is going to teach you how to make one for you and your employees. You may also see Strategic Plan Templates.
Fire Evacuation Plan Template
What are the contents of a fire evacuation plan?
A fire emergency evacuation plan is a written document that lists all of the actions that are to be taken by all staff in the event of a fire and if there is a need to contact the fire brigade. It should contain routines and procedures on how to assess the risks and what everyone needs to do in order to escape and prevent the situation from happening. However, if you are going to make this type of plan, then you need to make it as clear as possible so that every single employee will easily be able to understand the proper procedures. So, here are the contents you will need to include in your fire evacuation plan sample:
1. Fire evacuation strategy
When a fire starts, then you need to consider how everyone will have to vacate the premises in the light of your risk assessment and the other fire precautions you have or intend to put in place. So, here are examples of different fire evacuation strategies: You may also see Plan Templates in Word.
- Simultaneous evacuation. In most establishments, the evacuation plan in case of a fire will be simply through the means of gathering everyone’s attention via a warning signal when a fire is discovered and having everyone make their way to a designated safe area that is away from the establishment. This is the simultaneous evacuation plan and it is usually initiated by either the sound of a fire alarm through an establishment’s fire warning system. You may also see free plan templates.
- Vertical phased evacuation. In some larger complex premises, they make use of this type of evacuation plan as this is designed for people who are not in immediate danger to start delaying their evacuation. The reason for this is because it may be possible that the fire may be contained in a quicker fashion, which does not require everyone to leave the building. Basically, this evacuation best plan moves people who are closest to the fire away from safety, and then move those who are on the premises only when the situation calls for them to do so. Although this may not be one of the safest evacuation strategies, it is one that can prevent the loss of work productivity. However, because of the extra time this type of evacuation takes, other fire precautions may be required. These would include things such as fire control points, voice alarm systems, and sprinklers in buildings.
- Staff alarm evacuation. There are some cases where it may not be appropriate to have a general alarm that will start the immediate evacuation of employees. This could be because of the number of members of the public present and the need for the staff to put pre-arranged plans for the safe evacuation of everyone. In events such as this, a staff alarm via fire records, personal pagers, discreet sounders, or a coded phrase may be what is best for the establishment. Following the staff alarm, a general alarm may proceed right after and the evacuation of the premises may be done if it is deemed necessary to do so. You may also like plan templates in excel.
2. Actions are taken upon hearing the fire alarm
Once your staff members hear the alarm telling them of a fire happening within the establishment, they must learn the proper action to take. So, this is the part of the plan wherein you detail the instructions to your employees that they should head over to the pre-determined positions that will place them in the nearest safe zones. You may also like home evacuation plan templates.
Remind your employees that lifts and elevators must never be used in the event of a fire as there is the chance that an electrical failure could stop them from moving. The plan should also state that all personnel, with the exclusion of the fire brigade, must not re-enter the premises once they are out of the danger. You may also see plan templates in pdf.
3. Calling the fire brigade
Once a fire that cannot be handled has been determined, the employees must quickly call the fire department. This should be done through either a switchboard operator or the person who has discovered the fire. You may also see emergency action plan template.
4. Power/process isolation
How this section of the fire evacuation plan is made depends entirely on the establishment that creates it. In the event of any fire emergency, it is always better to shut down any electrical power to prevent greater fires from happening within the establishment. So, have those in charge of handling company power shut down the power if ever a fire is happening within the building. You may also see emergency plan templates.
5. Identification of key escape routes
If there is a fire, then your employees would want to know where to go to get to safety. While there are some who already know their way around the building, there may be those who are still unfamiliar with the layout of your company and not know where the fire exits are. So, it is best that your fire evacuation plan contains a diagram which shows your employees where all of the emergency fire exits are located. This way, all of your employees will be able to head to safety the moment they realize that a fire is happening in the workplace. You may also like incident response plan.
6. Places of assembly and roll call
This is the part of the fire evacuation plan which discusses where employees need to go to ensure their safety. Use appropriate signs whenever possible so that your employees will have no doubt about where they need to go in the event of a fire. You may also like sample emergency plan.
7. How to use the fire equipment provided
A nominated fire team, if available, or any trained competent person should, where possible, assess and/or control the fire only if they have all the necessary equipment that allows them to do so. However, they should always remember that firefighting comes only second to the safety of those within the building. It is best to remind them that nobody should be put at risk and all employees must prioritize their safety over anything else.
8. Required training
The emergency evacuation plan should be the subject of employee training so that everyone in your establishment would be familiar with its contents. It is also best that you have fire drills to see if your employees have fully understood where it is they should go and what to do in the event of a fire. It is very important that this type of training is carried out and that its results are recorded. This will assist both you and your employees in the event that there is a need for it in the future.
9. Escape plan for the disabled
Your fire evacuation plan should not just think about the employees who are able to escape on their own, but it must also consider those in need of assistance. These are people with disabilities or injuries that prevent them from reaching the pre-determined assembly points have to be assisted. So, you will need to provide training to your staff on how they should help them or provide the necessary medical care in the event that there is no professional able to provide it at a moment’s notice. You may also see construction safety plan.
10. Liaison with emergency service
Contact and notify all of the external emergency services within your area about your fire emergency evacuation plan. There should be a senior person nominated to meet the fire and rescue service when they arrive so that he or she will be able to give all of the necessary information that they will need to prevent the fire from spreading or help those who were not able to make it out safely from the establishment. The person that you have nominated must have sound knowledge of the layout of the establishment and must also have some form of contact with all of the appointed leaders of each pre-determined assembly point to relay whatever information is acquired regarding the fire.
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