Suddenly an alarm sounds. You realise you can smell smoke. Would you know the best thing to do at home or work? Despite the urgency, running is not the best advice. It only takes a couple of lungfuls of toxic smoke to render you unconscious, so it’s crucial to have a plan that is so second nature that you can do it quickly and safely.
Fire spreads frighteningly fast, so you need to act instinctively, alert everybody and leave via your exit route as planned and practised. Save time by not looking for your personal belongings or grabbing a coat. These items can be replaced, but your life cannot.
Only be tempted to investigate a fire if you have been trained.
On your exit route, before opening any door, test to see if the door feels warm on the back of your hand before you open it in case the fire is on the other side.
If you encounter smoke as you exit the building, keep as close to the floor as possible and close doors behind you as you go.
Once outside, dial 999 and never attempt to re-enter the building.
The above guidelines are a few things you could do to make evacuation easier and more efficient. Thankfully, many things can be done to make any private residence or workplace safer from the risk of fire, but these all rely on having a firm evacuation procedure in place, to begin with.
Every workplace should have a fire emergency evacuation plan as a written document. This should detail the actions staff need to take in the event of a fire. For smaller premises, this information could be displayed on a Fire Notice in locations where it can easily be accessed and read by staff and visitors alike.
A more extensive and detailed plan will be required for larger organisations due to a fire risk assessment. A fire risk assessment will determine which staff might be at more risk and their location in the organisation. The evacuation plan for all staff should be prominently displayed with clear and essential information displayed. For a Fire Risk Assessment Bristol, go to http://keloscape.co.uk/areas-we-cover/fire-safety-consultancy-bristol/
A nominated staff member can be trained to keep updated with bookings, carry out assessments, and arrange evacuation procedures. Essential criteria to be covered include the following:
- A strategy for effective evacuation
- What to do when discovering a fire
- Actions to take on hearing the alarm
- Calling the emergency services
- Determining the best escape routes
- Who will be a fire marshal