Why? People’s performance during an emergency is only as good their basic level of training. Therefore, practice is critical for effective performance in a real emergency.
How often? We would recommend that full evacuation drills are conducted at least once per year* at unexpected times and under varying conditions to simulate the unusual conditions that occur should a real evacuation be necessary.
*If there is a significant increase in staff or changes to the practices or premises at a workplace, more often is recommended.
Who? Evacuation drills should involve all staff and visitors. Everyone must leave the building when the fire alarm sounds.
Preparation? Prior to the conducting the drill, all employees should be trained on the evacuation procedure.
Action? On completion a review of any issues arising should be discussed by senior management, making any adjustments to training or procedures. If necessary repeat the drill after amendments to procedures and record the outcome.
The RRFSO requires that the responsible person, is required to implement and keep records of:
• Fire Procedures, including evacuation
• Staff Training
• Fire Drills
Your plan should address:-
How to alert employees to the existence of a fire
How employees should react and leave the building
Where they should assemble; and how their presence should be confirmed.
However, just having the plan is not enough. Employers need to be able to prove that their staff can follow it in an emergency. These requirements are satisfied by holding practice fire drills throughout the year. Some will be advertised; others will not. The intended result is that staff will react automatically when the fire alarm goes off. They won’t need to think or read up on what to do; they will just do it.