Organised Fire Evacuation Drills across London and the South East
London Fire Consultants can manage and organise a Fire Evacuation Drill providing constructive feedback and where necessary redeveloping the Fire Emergency Evacuation Plan.
Once the emergency plan has been developed and training given, you will need to evaluate its effectiveness. The best way to do this is to perform a fire drill. This should be carried out at least annually or as determined by your fire risk assessment.
If you have a high staff turnover, you may need to carry them out more often. A well-planned and executed fire drill will confirm understanding of the training and provide helpful information for future training. The responsible person should determine the possible objectives of the drill such as to:
• identify any weaknesses in the evacuation strategy;
• test the procedure following any recent alteration or changes to working practices;
• familiarise new members of staff with procedures; and
• test the arrangements for disabled people.
Who Should Take Part?
Within each building the evacuation should be for all occupants except those who may need to ensure the security of the premises, or people who, on a risk-assessed basis, are required to remain with particular equipment or processes that cannot be closed down. Premises that consist of several buildings on the same site should be dealt with one building at a time over an appropriate period unless the emergency procedure dictates otherwise. Where appropriate, you may find it helpful to include members of the public in your fire drill – ensuring that all necessary health and safety issues are addressed before you do so.