7.13 Work Area Fire Drill Procedures
- Official deliberate Emergency Evacuation Practice Drills must be carried out at least twice per year under the direction of Area Safety Managers. Results of such practices must be documented on the University Fire Practice Record Form and filed for future reference
- Fire evacuation procedure is displayed on blue and white "Fire Action" notices in all buildings. New staff are also issued with details of the fire evacuation procedure as part of their Health and Safety induction programme
- During any emergency, priority must always be given to the safety of people, as distinct from property or material belongings
- All employees should be aware of any person in their area who has any sort of disability/handicap which is likely to hinder their exit during a fire, this includes temporary incapacity, such as a broken leg. It is these latter employees' responsibility to ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place to assist in their evacuation
- Main exits may be blocked during a real emergency; the alternative fire exit routes should therefore be used during at least one annual practice evacuation
- During a practice evacuation, Fire Marshals should sweep through their areas to check that every room has been vacated, before reporting the area as clear, to the Area Manager/Fire Warden in charge of the Assembly Point
- Once (6) has been achieved and all Fire Marshals have reported their areas clear, the Area Safety Manager conducting the practice can announce the "All clear". A debriefing should then be given to all participants before the authorise personnel to re-enter the building
- It is particularly important that (7) above is observed during a real emergency
- At such an eventuality, no building must be re-entered without it having been declared as safe by the Senior Fire Officer.
Revised September 2011