A fire, hazardous chemical spill or bomb within a buildingobviously would necessitate immediate evacuation to a safe locationoutside the building. So having a solid, rehearsed plan in placecould mean the difference between life and death.

In fact, evacuation planning and fire drills have been requiredby fire prevention codes for decades.

Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration (OSHA) regulations (29 CFR 1910.38) for employeesafety in the workplace require emergency-action plans that includeemployee evacuation. An effective evacuation plan will include:

1. An Evacuation Team

An evacuation team should be organized with a leader, floorwardens, searchers, stairwell monitors, aides to assist personswith disabilities and assembly-area monitors.

While small facilities with a limited number of occupants willrequire a minimal team, a large facility with hundreds or thousandsof occupants, such as a high-rise building, will require anappropriately larger team. 

The evacuation team should also coordinate with the facility'semergency-response team and public emergency services.

2. Fire Alarms/Mass-Notification System

Make sure that everyone can hear and understand theevacuation-warning signal.

3. Adequate Means Of Egress

Walk all buildings and verify there is the required minimumnumber of exits as specified in the applicable building code, orlife-safety code, and OSHA 29 CFR 1910 Subpart E.

Also keep in mind the travel distance to an exit should not beexcessive. Exits need to be properly marked with visible signs. Anyobstructions or impediments to egress—especially stairwells andlandings used for storage—should be removed.

4. Safe Assembly Areas Defined

Identify safe assembly areas away from the building. Assign aseparate assembly area for each floor or area of the building andpost signs so everyone knows where to assemble for a headcount.

For buildings within a city center, scenarios where the closestassembly area may not be accessible, or may be used by others, needto be taken into account. For these cases, identify alternateassembly areas farther away from the building.

5. A Method Of Accounting For All Evacuees

Procedures should include a process to account for everyoneknown to be within a building—including visitors. A roster of allemployees should be kept at the front desk along with the visitorlog. 

When a building is evacuated, the employee roster and visitorlog should be removed by the receptionist and used to conduct anaccounting of all persons.

Electronic-notification systems are common, and they can beeffective tools if employee information is current and the systemscan be used promptly and remotely following evacuation.

OTHER CRITICAL EVACUATION POINTS TOCONSIDER

Also identify anyone with temporary disabilities or functionalneeds who will need assistance evacuating. This may include peoplewith mobility, sight, hearing or cognitive impairments. Plansshould address their locations and how they will be evacuated orprotected within areas of refuge while awaiting rescue by publicemergency services.

Consider providing evacuation-assist devices and training staffto evacuate people with mobility impairments.

Manufacturing or other facilities where personnel must delayevacuation until they can safely shut down process systems requirespecial planning and precautions.

ARMED INTRUDERS & LOCKDOWNS

If an armed person is known or believed to be inside a buildingand seeking to harm people, a protective action called “lockdown”should be employed. 

Unlike evacuation, no internal team can move building occupantsto safety when an armed perpetrator is roaming the building.Rather, every person must be able to hear a lockdown warning andtake cover immediately. 

A public-address system that can broadcast a lockdown warningthroughout all buildings is essential. The system should be audibleand intelligible throughout the facility. 

A number of people should be able to broadcast a warning frommultiple locations as soon as a threat is detected. Also keep inmind that the security desk located adjacent to the front door maybe the first target of an armed aggressor. 

Everyone needs to know exactly what to do when a lockdownwarning is broadcast. The goal is for all to become silent andinvisible—which will make it more difficult for the armedperpetrator to find a target. 

Anyone present should hide within a closed and locked orbarricaded room with the lights off. They need to be prepared toremain in lockdown for a lengthy period of time, until police or arecognized voice sound the “all clear.”

TRAINING, DRILLS & EXERCISES

Training, drills and exercises are essential to ensure thateveryone can execute the emergency-response plan. Evacuation drillsalso are required by many regulations. More importantly, they teacheveryone how to take appropriate action to protect themselves andthose around them.

Sound the fire-alarm system, emergency voice-communicationsystem or mass-notification system to familiarize everyone with thewarning sound. 

Evacuation drills need to be designed to challenge people tofind a secondary exit and have everyone travel to assembly areas.Train anyone assigned to assist people with functional needs andpractice the use of evacuation-assist devices as part of the drill.Test electronic-notification systems and verify the ability toaccount for all evacuees. 

Lockdown drills require only a limited amount of time and can bedone in any weather. Before conducting a lockdown drill, raiseawareness of lockdown procedures and then announce the drill.Evaluate to make sure everyone knows where to go and how to takecover.

Keep records of all drills—especially drills required byregulations—and review the records as part of an overallpreparedness-program review process.