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Emergency Evacuations: Best Practices

It’s not complicated but it’s vitally important. When the fire alarm rings, you need to evacuate right away. That’s no time to start asking coworkers “Do you remember where we’re supposed to meet? Who’s in charge? Should I bring my computer? What are we supposed to do with Fred? He’s in a wheelchair.” Here’s the simple plan.

By Guy Robertson

Guy Robertson is a senior planner at TMC and an instructor at the Justice Institute of BC and Langara College. He has written five books and numerous articles on corporate security and disaster planning, and offered workshops and lectures at conferences across North America and in the UK.

Protocols

Prepare for a safe and successful emergency evacuation of your office by giving employees the information they need. Emphasize the importance of:

Orientation

You can cover these points during a 15- minute orientation session, including important questions such as:

Ideally, you will evacuate as quickly as possible. You can gather coats, purses, wallets, keys, and other small personal items before you make your exit, but do not try to carry out larger, heavier items, since to do so could slow you down.

No. Avoid elevators and use stairwells. You do not want to be caught in an elevator during a fire or toxic spill.

If you encounter smoke or fumes in your stairwell, use an alternative stairwell in a different part of your building.

Directions from firefighters, police, and paramedics take precedence over instructions from your manager.

Make sure that anyone who needs assistance to evacuate the building has informed your Fire Warden and knows the location of your building’s Emergency Refuge area. Note that people with physical and emotional challenges might need different kinds of assistance during an evacuation.

Drills

Fire codes demand that all offices hold fire drills regularly, i.e. annually or semi- annually. Treat your drill as if it were a response to a real emergency. Encourage everyone to participate, and record outstanding observations to improve your performance. It pays to respect these best practices.

If you’d like to comment on this article or explore these ideas further, contact me at .

This article was published in the October 2022 edition of The TMC Advisor
- ISSN 2369-663X Volume:9 Issue:5

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