Fire assembly points: 5 things you should know

This article was written by Assured Fire & Security and first published on its website.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states that “emergency routes and exits must lead as directly as possible to a place of safety” and that procedures for serious and imminent danger must enable the persons concerned to “immediately proceed to a place of safety in the event of their being exposed to serious, imminent and unavoidable danger”.

So what do you need to remember about fire assembly points to keep your staff safe in the event of a fire?

Here’s our top five points to keep in mind:

• Assembly points outside of the building should be clearly indicated. These points will be designated in consultation with your fire risk assessment, and the routes to them should be signposted with correct notices. Ensure all signage is unobstructed and easy to see, and that staff are aware on joining the company where their designated fire assembly point is.
• For larger sites, a well-formulated procedure should be in place to handle the evacuation of hundreds of people safely, ensuring they are moved through various exit points to a single assembly point.
• Where assembly points are sited is important. Consideration needs to be given to distance from the main building, and ease of accessibility by disabled people.
• Providing a sheltered, illuminated assembly point can be a good idea depending on the type of people who would be evacuated. For example, a care home may have vulnerable people who would benefit from shelter in the event of forced evacuation in poor weather.
• It is important that employees and other persons visiting the building are advised which assembly area they must use in the event of evacuation. For employees, this should form part of their induction to the company. For visitors, it is good housekeeping to advise where the nearest exit points and assembly point is.

Having a well-thought out fire safety evacuation policy is of upmost importance in ensuring the safety of your employees and site visitors. A comprehensive fire-risk assessment will look at your existing evacuation procedures, ensuring you comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order.

If you have an existing fire risk assessment, this should be reviewed every 12 months, and a new one should be completed every three years. For new sites, you should have a fire risk assessment completed within 3 weeks of opening.

Not had a fire-risk assessment completed recently? Simply contact Assured Fire & Security for a quick quote.

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