Fire Evacuation Drills

A fire drill is a simulated emergency procedure which aims to simulate the processes which would be undertaken in the event of a fire or other emergency requiring evacuation. It involves creating a situation which replicates what would happen if a real fire were to occur, usually with the inclusion of fire alarms, and requires your employees, and anyone else who may be within your property at the time, to evacuate.

Intended to make an evacuation in the event of a fire as simple, efficient and effective as possible, it involves running your employees through your evacuation procedures, ensuring they are familiar with the plan and are able to get out quickly and safely. It is also intended to make sure your relevant fire warden or fire safety supervisor knows exactly what they are doing and can act as incredibly beneficial practice if their expertise is ever really needed.

Fire drills are also an important evaluation of your evacuation procedures. An ideal opportunity to test how effective your emergency plans are, they allow you to quickly identify any flaws or weaknesses which may be present and then make any changes as a result. For example, if some of your staff gather their belongings before leaving, you can ensure everyone is aware that action is against all fire safety recommendations and that, in a real life situation, they may be putting their lives in danger. Similarly, if you find one of your exits is blocked, or too narrow for your employees to quickly escape, you should plan an alternative or additional route.

The frequency of fire drill ultimately depends on your business or premises and what has been recommended in your Fire Risk Assessment. However the minimum requirement is to hold a full fire evacuation drill at least annually.

Who should take part?

Usually conducted during our fire risk assessments although we can arrange any time to attend site and assist you in conducting a fire evacuation drill. We can make fire drills as realistic as possible to really test your Fire Marshals and Wardens and the fire safety procedure that you have in place to ensure that everything works as it should in the event of a real emergency. We will observe the evacuation and compile a report based on what we see.

We can even block parts of escape routes using a fog machine similar to those used by disco DJ's, the fog that is produced is light synthetic smoke that is harmless and colourless and will disperse very quickly and leave no residue. This method has really become popular as it makes the fire drill very realistic and aids for a perfect evacuation.