We all know that a fire could occur at any time, putting our lives, and the lives of others at risk. But we may not completely understand what to do if an emergency does occur.
A fire emergency evacuation plan (FEEP) is one of the most important assets businesses should invest in, whatever kind of industry sector you’re in, because it can ultimately save lives and protect your premises from devastating fire damage.
A FEEP is a simple written document detailing what actions should be carried out in the event of a fire. It should be tailored to your business and premises, taking into account the nature of your work, your workforce, clients, the type of building you work in and any additional risks.
There’s a huge difference between evacuating a small retail or industrial unit compared to a care home where vulnerable residents may need assistance to get out of the building quickly and safely. A personalised and well thought out FEEP will help you feel reassured that if the worst does happen, you have a contingency plan in place.
Here are our top 10 tips for compiling your FEEP:
- What should someone do if they discover a fire at work? Do you have a fire alarm or do you need to shout ‘fire’ to alert all occupants?
- What should your employees do when they hear a fire alarm?
- Who is responsible for calling the fire brigade?
- Do any of the occupants need to isolate gas or electrical supplies before they begin the evacuation to ensure machinery or processes don’t create an additional hazard?
- What are your designated escape routes in the event of a fire? (Most people tend to exit the building in the same way they enter, which can cause bottlenecks and delays in getting everyone out.)
- What responsibilities should your Fire Wardens have? For example, should they sweep the building or manage fire assembly points? Fire Wardens should receive training annually and be able to review and monitor any fire, as well as being confident at identifying the problem and managing an evacuation calmly.
- Where is your fire assembly point? (It should be far enough away from the building that it’s safe and near enough for you to meet the fire and rescue services when they arrive.)
- Have your Fire Wardens or colleagues been given adequate fire safety training and are they able to locate and use fire extinguishers?
- Do you have colleagues with disabilities who need help evacuating the building? It’s incredibly important to ensure any staff members with physical or learning disabilities, hearing impairments or eyesight problems have someone to help guide them out safely.
- Who is responsible for meeting the emergency services when they arrive on site to brief them about the nature and location of the fire?
So do you have a fire emergency evacuation plan? For help creating one, contact Matt at Synergy Fire Engineering on (0)843 658 1310 or email [email protected].
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