Speeding up fire evacuations

Really useful advice from The Fire Safety Company.

Following a recent fire drill, it became obvious that everyone on the premises reacted too slowly to the fire alarm, which impacted on the overall evacuation time. What can be done to ensure tenants react appropriately?

Is this a legal requirement and what should such a pack contain?
Legislative requirements such as the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 require the dutyholder to provide information to emergency services if, for example, dangerous substances on the premises present more than a slight risk.

The purpose of this is to enable the emergency services to prepare their own response procedures and precautionary measures.

The information to be provided is as follows:
The procedures put in place for serious and imminent danger, and for danger areas.
Details of hazards and how hazards can be identified.
Specific hazards likely to arise in an emergency.
Escape facilities provided for relevant persons to safely leave dangerous places.
This information can be provided to the local emergency services in a number of ways including the provision of an emergency pack that is made available in advance to the emergency services.

Good practice in the form BS 9999:2008 Code of Practice for Fire Safety in the Design, Management and Use of Buildings, expands on this further. The standard recommends that “to assist operational fire crews, an emergency pack containing essential information for firefighting, and indicating escape routes, special hazards and special procedures, should be prepared in advance in consultation with the fire and rescue service”.

Annex M to BS 9999 provides details as to the information that could possibly be provided in an emergency pack. It highlights that this should be operational information and be provided in a simple user-friendly format and include the following:
Fire and rescue service contingency plan for the building (if available).
Floor plan layouts, indicating any relevant fire resistance provisions, internal access provisions, fire-fighting facilities, building services and any specific hazards.
Information (including operating instructions) relating to equipment/fixed installations provided for means of escape or firefighting.
Implications of any fire-engineering strategy on the performance of the building during a fire.
Information in relation to preventing environmental damage.
Information in relation to mitigating loss and assisting salvage operations.
It also states that additional information may be placed in the emergency pack, including the full fire safety plan or business continuity/recovery plans. However, it is vital that such plans are clearly distinguished from the basic operational information.
Until next time,

Sanjay and the Fire Safety Team

Based on the above, a number of actions can be taken to improve evacuation times.

First, information and training should get the message across of the dangers of delaying evacuation and the impact this could have on life safety.

This should be supported with well-designed and maintained fire precautions including an alarm system where false alarms are reduced and escape routes that are clearly signposted and clear of obstructions, etc.

Nominated staff (eg fire wardens) can also assist by being given appropriate training and the authority to encourage occupiers to evacuate immediately when the alarm is actuated.

Cultural issues will be greatly assisted if senior managers show appropriate leadership and behave in the appropriate way. This will encourage staff to adopt the same behaviour.

Disciplinary action for repeatedly poor behaviour could be an option but this should be a last resort.

If you’re looking for a company that can complete your fire evacuation drills, provide you with detailed drill reports then look no further than The Fire Safety Company….we are UK’s MOST accredited fire protection company.

We’re probably the best company in the UK at completing outstanding evacuation drills.

Call Sanjay on 01748 811992 or email on [email protected]