Evacuating Safely

It is a legal requirement to ensure the safe evacuation from a building of everyone in an emergency, with particular emphasis on the needs of impaired persons.

With fire protection in buildings, here is a common misunderstanding that it is the responsibility of the emergency services to ensure the safe evacuation of persons from a building. This is not the case!

Today’s legislation stipulates that it is no longer the duty of the Fire Service to make sure the workplace is safe. When it comes to fire protection in buildings of work, the duty now lies solely with the ‘responsible person’ nominated by the building management or service providers to ensure there is a suitable procedure in place to evacuate everyone.

The ‘responsible person’ must nominate a sufficient number of ‘competent persons’ to implement procedures in the event of an emergency evacuation from the premises. This calls for a Fire Emergency Evacuation plan to be in place. If you require information about the duties of being a responsible person, then it would be sensible to ask for expert advice relating to your building and occupants.

Fire protection in buildings is a system that relies on all of its components. Evacuation is a main component which should not be ignored. Evacuating a building in a safe and secure manner is paramount, and must be carefully planned well in advance of a fire.

Call Surefire for any advice about evacuation procedures from the workplace.