How to Conduct a Fire Drill

The Fire Safety Order 2005 has made it a legal requirement that all workplaces, including small businesses, must conduct regular fire drills. All members of staff need to practice escape routes and have a secure knowledge of what to do in the event of a real fire for their own safety.

Here are some tips on how to make workplace fire drills as efficient and effective as possible:

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Before

Ensure that there is a fire safety committee in place – Larger companies should create a fire safety team, or at least nominate one person to be a designated person with fire safety responsibilities.

Make sure everyone knows all the routines and procedures – Who is responsible for accounting for people? Who is responsible for conducting a sweep of the building? Who is going to liaise with the fire services? All of these questions should be answered before the drill takes place.
Fire safety doors and emergency exits – These should be clearly marked as well as completely unobstructed.

Decide whether the fire drill is to be planned or a surprise – If the fire drill is unplanned, the workplace staff will believe there is a real fire and will take it seriously. If the drill is planned, however, people will hopefully conduct themselves in a calm and appropriate manner.

During

Review escape routes – The team should be reviewing all factors specific to their workplace, such as the effectiveness of escape routes.

Identify any weaknesses in the escape routines – This may be identifying a quicker route, or changing the location of the assembly area.

Take a register – This should be a list of everyone at your workplace

After

Evaluate the fire drill. After it has finished, identify any fire safety improvements and try to identify areas that need improvement. All findings should be recorded.
Carry out a fire risk assessment to plan how often fire drills should be conducted. An annual or twice a year fire drill is realistic and effective for businesses.

Regularly check all fire alarms and fire extinguishers – Check they are in good working order on a periodic basis.

Written by AAI Security Systems