When was the last time you dusted off your emergency evacuation plan to check the details were up to date?
If your response is “what emergency evacuation plan?” then stop what you’re doing and call a meeting with your Emergency Planning Committee and East Coast Fire & Safety.
Otherwise, dust off your emergency evacuation plan (also called an emergency response protocol or similar) and keep reading.
The importance of emergency evacuation plans
Not only are these documents required by NSW law, they are also an essential safety item to prevent injury in the workplace.
Evacuation plans contain all the essential information you need in case of fire, bomb threat, chemical contamination, or any other emergency. How quickly a business deals with an emergency and recovers from the shock will depend on thorough planning.
A normal emergency evacuation plan will contain, at a minimum:
Contact details | Evacuation plans and diagrams | Procedures |
Building name, address and phone numbers | Fire incident procedure | |
Emergency service numbers | Business specific plans (in multi-tenancy buildings) | Medical emergency procedure
|
Names of any wardens that are trained in the building | Location of all fire safety equipment | Evacuation procedure |
Contact details for personnel with emergency training | Location of assembly points | First Aid procedure |
Fire Warden incident register |
| Building services procedures |
|
| Emergency needs analysis procedure |
|
| Civil disorder/bomb threat procedures |
|
| Workplace conflict and resolution |
|
| Post disaster procedure |
Every business will require a variation of this information, depending on factors like industry, location, on site hazardous materials, identified risks and maximum occupancies.
One thing that every business has in common is the need for a regularly updated, site-specific emergency evacuation plan. Being prepared in an emergency will prevent disaster for your people, your assets and your workplace.
Why you need to review your emergency plans
In every workplace there are constant changes that should be reflected in your emergency planning. Staff numbers, equipment, IT, desk layouts, workshop methods and vehicles on the premises are just some of the factors that regularly movements in almost every business.
Not letting your emergency evacuation plan go cold requires regular attention from a designated staff member – usually one of your trained Fire Safety Wardens.
Once you have an emergency evacuation plan in place, here are a few tips for keeping it current:
- Hold regular (monthly) Emergency Planning Committee meetings to note any changes
- Review evacuation plans prior to every fire drill
- Note staff changes, especially Fire Safety Wardens and First-Aid providers
- Update evacuation plans when equipment or workplace layout impacts exit pathways
- Schedule regular workplace inspections
- Hold emergency evacuation training sessions for all staff
How can East Coast Fire & Safety help your business?
If you’re not sure where to start with an emergency evacuation plan for your workplace, we can help. Our trained and qualified team provide on-site training, fire protection equipment, documentation to meet Australian Standards, fire safety project management and more.
Emergency evacuation plans must be developed to reflect your specific business, in order to keep the workplace safe and ensure smooth evacuation if the unthinkable happens.
East Coast Fire & Safety will provide highly experienced staff to work with your Emergency Planning Committee for a tailored emergency response plan. Our expertise will help keep you safe, without burning a hole in the budget.
Contact us to find out more about emergency response planning.