A plan in place to deal with a building fire could save lives. You can save lives by having a fire risk assessment done to ensure that your building meets safety standards and identifies hazards. However, it is important to have a fire evacuation plan in place for all premises.
It is your responsibility as the responsible person for your building to ensure that a plan is in place to allow safe evacuation. Are you unsure what should be included in a fire evacuation plan? We’ll walk you through creating a fire evacuation plan for your building.
What is a fire evacuation plan?
A fire emergency evacuation program, also known as a FEEP, outlines the steps to be taken in the event of a fire alarm being raised and a fire being found. The plan should be simple to understand. Fire wardens assigned to your building should also be familiar with it in order to immediately put it into effect when necessary.
The strategy you choose will depend on the building and the people who live there. You might consider the following strategies:
- Simultaneous evacuation, where everyone leaves the building
- Vertical phased evacuation is where floors at greatest risk are evacuated first. This delays other floors until it is necessary to avoid a bottleneck on escape routes.
- Staff evacuations are done by staff where they are first alerted to enable a phased plan to take place due to large numbers.
- Protect in place (or stay put) if there is at least 60 minutes of fire resistance in compartments. This will allow fire and rescue service personnel to attend to the fire and extinguish it.
What should be included in a fire evacuation plan?
The type of fire evacuation plan you choose will depend on the building, but there are key elements that all plans must include to ensure safe evacuation.
Fire evacuation plans for…
Each industry and every sector will have its own requirements for a fire evacuation program. These are just a few examples of how you should consider the use of the building as well as the lives of those who live there when creating plans.
Schools
Fire drill training is essential for hundreds of students spread across multiple sites at once. This allows pupils to be able to exit the building safely and to find the safe assembly point. You will need to make sure there are safe routes for all students. Mobility issues and persons with disabilities should be considered. More information will follow.
Hotels
Your hotel’s size may affect the way you do things. Hotels share one thing: they are not familiar with their guests. Clear signage should be placed in all areas of the building to ensure guests are able to follow the quickest route possible in the event that there is a fire.
Hospitals
Hospitals and care homes need to have plans that are tailored to their buildings. This includes compartmentalization to protect vulnerable residents and those who can’t be moved because of life support equipment. The identification of escape routes is important, just like in hotels. Most people are not familiar with their surroundings.
Evaluate your plan for those with disabilities
Your fire evacuation plan should cater to all people within your building, including those with disabilities. This is laid out in the Equality Act 2010 which requires employers to protect against discrimination in the workplace, ensuring all people, including disabled people, can leave the building safely in the event of a fire.
There are a number of factors to consider, from mobility issues to hidden disabilities and hearing impairments. PEEPs, or personal emergency evacuation plans, may be needed to ensure you have planned for the evacuation of disabled people who may work in your building or use your facilities. For hospitals and care homes, this is clearly a huge consideration for fire evacuation plans.
Evaluate your plan for those with disabilities
Your fire evacuation plan must be inclusive of all members of your building. This is outlined in the Equality Act 2010, which requires employers to ensure that there are no discriminatory practices in the workplace.
There are many factors to take into consideration, including mobility issues as well hidden disabilities and hearing impairments. Personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs) may be required to plan for the evacuation of any disabled persons who might use your facility or work in your building. This is a crucial consideration when planning for fire evacuation in hospitals and care homes.
Fire evacuation plans for your building
Verrolyne Training can help you create a customized fire evacuation plan for your building. This would consider various factors, such as the purpose of the building and any special requirements. It will help you create the most efficient plan possible to evacuate people safely. We can help you with your fire evacuation plan.
We understand how crucial it is to have the right equipment and training. We offer a range of fire safety and training services including emergency lighting for evacuation routes and fire exit signage to ensure that you are protecting lives and property.
Contact us today if you would like more information on these services, or to arrange fire warden training so that you have qualified personnel to conduct an evacuation. Call our team, or fill out the quick quote form.
