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Procedure for Fire Evacuation

Contractors Knowledge Base

Objective

Incidents of fire are not uncommon on building sites and when such an incident occurs it is important that those at risk, and those attempting to combat the emergency, have a procedure to follow. This helps to avoid confusion and reduces the risks to all persons caught up in the incident.

Administration

In order that everyone present on site or in the office can be accounted for it is important that all employees and visitors are signed-in each day. The resulting list can then be used as a register. All staff should be briefed on designated means of escape routes, assembly points, and fire fighting equipment types and locations during site induction. Escape routes and assembly points should also be displayed.

Procedure

  1. A register of all employees and visitors will be kept in a prominent position in the office or by the senior company representative on site.
  2. One employee will be designated as roll caller.
  3. All employees should be aware of site and office fire warning and fire fighting systems which are briefed at induction.
  4. On discovering a fire, the person making the discovery will sound the nearest fire warning device (or on small sites shout fire several times).
  5. He will then proceed to fight the fire by using the nearest appropriate fire-fighting device providing he has been trained to use it.
  6. The senior company representative present will, on hearing the alarm, immediately attend the site of the incident with a view to assessing the seriousness of the situation.
  7. On hearing the alarm, all other employees will leave the area of the incident pending the senior company representative's assessment of the situation.
  8. The senior company representative will quickly decide whether to:
    • continue to fight the fire if it appears small enough to contain
    • call the emergency fire and rescue service and/or
    • evacuate completely
  9. When in any doubt, the premises will be evacuated and the emergency fire and rescue service called.
  10. All employees will leave by the nearest safe route and go to the designated assembly point where the role caller will use the register he has picked up on hearing the fire alarm to call the role.
  11. If anyone is missing the role caller will inform the senior company representative who will lead a small search party if he considers it to be safe.
  12. When the fire and rescue service attends, the senior company representative will brief the senior fire and rescue officer on the staff situation and the site of the fire.
  13. No employee will re-enter the site or office until the senior fire and rescue officer gives the all clear.