How a proper fire drill should be conducted
As part of fire safety measures business owners are required by law to take, a fire drill should be carried out on a regular basis. This is an essential measure, as it ensures that all of a building’s occupants know where to go and what to do in case of a fire.
However, some businesses and organisations are neglecting to carry out fire drills altogether. Some of those that do have a semi-regular schedule of fire drills are not carrying them out properly. Here are the steps you need to take to conduct a proper fire drill:
- Make sure the fire drill is unannounced so that it will be realistic and of full benefit. However you can inform department heads of the drill.
- Trigger the drill by setting off the fire alarm.
- The designated fire marshals should start the evacuation of staff, as well as ensuring that all procedures (i.e. making emergency phone calls) are followed.
- Staff should evacuate to a pre-agreed assembly point, where they will be registered and counted.
- The evacuation should be timed and the time improved upon during every fire drill.
- A de-briefing process should take place after every fire drill.
- The drill should be repeated every six months or sooner if you have a rapid staff turnover.
To learn more about how to carry out a fire drill, the best option is to undergo fire safety training. It is not just the designated fire marshal who should have fire safety training – managers and staff members can all benefit from it.