We all remember fire drills back at school, right? They were great, a perfect time to skive maths and have a catch up with your mates. Of course, we also understood the need for them and the workplace environment is no different.
In this article, we cover all the legal requirements surrounding fire drills in the workplace. They can be a bit of a headache to organise, particularly in larger settings.
We’ll walk (not run!) through the logistics of carrying out these essential drills.
What is a Fire Drill?
All the fire equipment in the world won’t help if your staff aren’t trained in dealing with a fire breaking out. To keep the workforce safe, they must know how to evacuate calmly if there’s a workplace fire.
In a moment of panic, it is very easy for panic to set in which can result in injuries or even death in a fire That means regularly carrying out fire drills will help protect everyone in the workplace.
With an alarming average of 22,000 workplace fires each year (or 423 per day) in the UK, it is vital everyone plays their part.
A fire drill puts all your plans into action, allowing you to check your workplace evacuation plan runs smoothly. Fire drills are sometimes planned and staff are made aware of them.
Other times they are unannounced, without any warning. This helps to make sure that even in an unexpected situation, everyone knows what to do.
Usually, the fire alarm will sound and everyone should follow the evacuation plan.
Why Are Fire Drills Important?
Fire drills help save lives. They are also required by fire safety law in UK workplaces.
There has to be someone in charge of safety procedures, including fire evacuations. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, sets out the expected fire safety standards that should be met.
It says:-
15.—(1) The responsible person must—
(a)establish and, where necessary, give effect to appropriate procedures, including safety drills, to be followed in the event of serious and imminent danger to relevant persons;
Read more of Section 15 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
By conducting regular fire drills, and appointing an appropriate person to oversee them, you ensure compliance with the law.
Knowing how to handle a fire drill can also prevent injuries and fatalities. In the event of a fire, everyone needs to be crystal on the evacuation process.
It’s also important to regularly check the smoke and fire alarms are fully operational. Many fire wardens perform fire drills and equipment checks at the same time.
How Often Should a Fire Drill be Performed?
By law, there should be, at the minimum, one annual fire drill. The drill should be documented and records held as part of the workplace fire safety and evacuation plan.
Many companies have fire drills more often than the legal minimum. Fire alarms should also be checked more often than yearly. A lot of it comes down to how complex the building layout is, how many staff there are and how often new staff join the team.
If a fire drill is carried out and doesn’t go according to plan then this needs to be documented. Another drill should then be carried out as soon as possible, implementing any necessary changes.
A few things to bear in mind regarding the frequency of fire drills include:–
- Staff turnover levels.
- How many staff are full time, part time, shift workers or temporary?
- How big the building is and how many fire escapes there are.
- If there have been any structural changes affecting the escape route.
- Education settings such as nurseries and schools should hold one every term.
Who is Responsible for Fire Drills?
It ultimately is the responsibility of employers to oversee fire drills and fire safety. Often, they will assign the job of fire warden (or similar) to an employee.
A fire warden is responsible for some aspects of fire safety in the workplace including evacuation plans and risk assessments. Anyone given this job title should receive fire safety training and other relevant courses.
To a degree though, workplace fire safety is everyone’s responsibility.
Planning a Fire Drill
If you’ve been made responsible for conducting workplace fire drills, you need a clear plan of how the fire drill will be run.
Your aim is to establish both the strengths and the weaknesses of the drills.
Key Points to Remember:-
● You need to understand the aims of the fire drill.
You will want a clear idea of why the fire drill is being carried out. It is a good idea to have a list of possible outcomes so you can compare.
● Keep in mind any equipment that might be left unattended.
Spontaneous fire drills can be tricky in an environment where there is a lot of machinery. Wherever possible, make sure equipment can be switched off for the duration of the drill.
● Have a register of employees who took part.
It is important to keep in mind who has and hasn’t been involved in a fire drill. This means anyone who misses the first one should be included in the next one. Most workplaces have a wide range of different shift patterns.
● Appoint some staff who will observe the fire drill.
Having some staff dotted around the workplace to observe the drill is very effective. Not only does it provide you with different perspectives but the potential to identify more issues is likely. Getting any problems ironed out ASAP is important.
● Decide on your approach – planned or unannounced?
Some companies believe all fire drills should be planned and everyone pre warned. Not only does this stop any possible panic but it also means any equipment can be shut down. Other workplaces swear that unannounced are best so that if a real fire ever did take place, everyone would handle it better. Or there could be a mixture of the two.
● Warn the fire brigade if alarms are linked to the station.
Some alarm systems are fairly hi tech and, once activated, send out a notification to the local fire station. If this is the case, make sure you have pre warned them, otherwise, you may face a fine.
● Inform your visitors.
Some workplaces can have an influx of visitors throughout the day. If this is the case, be sure and have a notice explaining when the fire drill will be taking place. By informing the staff, they can help spread the word too which will reduce panic.
How to Conduct a Fire Drill
Fire drill day has arrived and it is time to put all the theory into practice now.
For a smooth running fire drill, follow the steps below:
- Decide on a time if this hasn’t been decided yet.
- Give the staff who are observing the drill some paper to take notes on.
- Give them each a designated place to observe from.
- Have a designated staff member sound the alarm.
- Set a timer so you can record how long the fire drill takes from start to finish.
- Take note of anything that doesn’t run smoothly during the evacuation.
- Once everyone is gathered at the agreed meeting point, make sure no one is missing.
- Fill in the paperwork by writing up how it went and what needs to change.
Assessment of the Fire Drill
After the fire drill has taken place, it is essential to assess how it went from all angles.
This means speaking with those who observed and took notes during the drill. Make a note of any difficulties that arose and assess how this could be changed.
Make sure there were no major problems such as the fire alarm not reaching all areas of the building.
Consider the time it took to get everyone out of the building – did it take longer than expected? If people stopped to pick up phones, coats or other personal belongings make sure this is addressed.
Update any risk assessments in light of the most recent fire drill so it reflects your findings.
How Long Should a Drill Take?
A fire drill has no legal limit for the time it takes to get everyone evacuated.
There are several factors which will influence this time such as how big the building is and how far the exit is from the staff.
Setting a goal of 2 minutes is a realistic aim and gives you something to strive towards if practical within your workplace.
Recording the Results
After a fire drill, the results must be recorded as soon after the event as possible.
A logbook should be kept on the premises and all fire drills should be detailed within it. All the important information must be recorded such as:
- The date and time the drill took place.
- The name of the person in charge of conducting the fire drill.
- The names of any observers who were appointed.
- How many were involved in the drill?
- How long the fire drill took from the start of evacuation to the end?
- Any feedback or changes that need to be addressed?
- Name of the person writing the recordings.
FAQs
Turning off the lights during a fire drill can help make the drill more realistic in case there is ever a circuit failure. It assesses how well exits can be found and whether signs and safety equipment can be read.
It is a legal requirement in the workplace to ensure there is, at least, one annual fire drill. More may be necessary depending on staff turnover.
