3.6 Emergency evacuation procedures

Question 1

There are two basic approaches to evacuation:

Answer 1

 total evacuation, which may be simultaneous or phased  progressive evacuation.

Question 2

Total simultaneous evacuation is

Answer 2

the standard approach used in premises where it would be unreasonable to expect the occupants to remain in an affected area for a prolonged time, when there is a fire. Typically the fire alarm sounders indicate an immediate evacuation and all occupants proceed to a place of ultimate safety.

Question 3

A phased evacuation

Answer 3

occurs in two stages. Key staff are alerted before the alarm sounders are activated giving an opportunity to investigate, confirm the fire and prepare the evacuation response. A phased approach is commonly used in multi-storey premises where people on the storey most at risk are evacuated in the first instance, and then the remaining storeys are evacuated at phased intervals.

Question 4

Progressive horizontal evacuation

Answer 4

typically used in hospitals and nursing homes. Vulnerable people are initially evacuated into an adjoining fire compartment on the same storey, allowing time for the fire service response and organising for full evacuation to a place of ultimate safety, if necessary.

Question 5

Zoned evacuation

Answer 5

often adopted in large retail developments, to avoid significant operational losses as a consequence of a relatively small fire. Occupants are moved away from the affected zone to an adjacent zone, while the fire-affected zone is brought under control.

Question 6

The responsible person should determine the possible objectives of the drill such as to: 4

Answer 6

 identify any weaknesses in the evacuation strategy  test the procedure following any recent alteration or changes to working practices  familiarise new members of staff with procedures  test the arrangements for disabled people.

Question 7

The key questions to be addressed by a PEEP are:

Answer 7

(1) How will the individual be given information on the evacuation procedure? (2) How will the individuals’ attention be drawn to the need to evacuate? (3) What support (assistance and/or equipment) will be necessary to ensure the individual can safely evacuate the premises?

Question 8

Outline the issues that need to be addressed when planning a fire evacuation procedure for a multi-storey office building. 10 marks

Answer 8

An initial issue that would have to be addressed would be the means of raising the alarm when a fire or other emergency is discovered and the summoning of the emergency services. In order to achieve the safe evacuation of both employees and members of the public some of whom may have sensory or physical disabilities, consideration would have to be given to both physical and procedural measures. Physical measures include:  travel distances and alternative routes  emergency lighting  clear signage of exit routes  the location of assembly points  the provision of access for emergency services  the provision of refuges and evacuation equipment. Procedural measures include:  clarifying staff responsibilities  training fire wardens  accounting for personnel  providing door marshals to prevent entry or re-entry to the office building. Security considerations, such as minimising the opportunity for theft, would also be an issue here. Liaison with the emergency services should form part of the planning process since they can help with advice on issues such as response times, their access requirements and appropriate locations of assembly areas. There should also be liaison with neighbouring businesses that could be affected by an emergency within the office building. The procedures, once drawn up, would need to be summarised on prominently displayed fire notices and tested with regular fire drills.

Question 9

During a fire drill exercise at a large multi-storey office premises, the majority of the occupants evacuated the building in less than three minutes. However, all of the people based in one area of the building failed to leave the building until a further four minutes had elapsed. (a) Explain the issues that may have contributed to the delay in evacuation. 15 marks (b) Outline the advantages of undertaking regular fire drills in workplaces.

Answer 9

(a) There are a number of issues which could have contributed to the delay, including:  distance from the alarm sounder in this area meant it couldn’t be heard  complexity of escape routes from this area slowed evacuation  difficulty of the procedures resulting in confusion and delay  no/insufficient duties of fire marshals  misinterpreting the fire alarm and not therefore not reacting appropriately  evacuation delayed to investigate why the alarm sounded. Note: this is not a complete list of issues; it includes those the examiners identified as not being included in many students answers. (b) The advantages of undertaking regular fire drills include:  compliance with legislation  ensuring occupants familiarity with their duties  ensuring occupants familiarity with routes/panic bars/bolts  opportunity for targeted retraining and communication of procedure  opportunity for investigation into need for fire alarm/building re-design.