How To Create a Fire Escape Plan for Your Office

8/15/2019 (Permalink)

Establish scape routes in your map

One of your responsibilities as a commercial property owner or business manager is to ensure the safety of your employees and tenants. One crucial aspect of that is creating a fire escape plan.

How Do You Even Begin?

Locate Exits

During a fire, the highest priority it getting everyone out of the building, which means having an emergency escape plan. You should establish two escape routes that move people outside simply and efficiently. Then, you should highlight these routes on a clearly marked map. This map should be displayed as well as included in the written plan. Don't forget to designate a meeting spot outside of the building to gather everyone after evacuation; that way you can make sure everyone is accounted for and regroup.

Assign Duties

A fire escape plan should also include which people are to be doing what during an emergency. Each unique situation may require different or specialized roles, like safety protocols specific to a lab. However, there are some basics that are almost always covered:

• someone in charge of communications; this includes being in charge of contact information
  
• section leaders who may be in charge of rounding people up to leave and keeping count
  
• someone designated to call 911 or coordinate with the authorities
  
• someone in charge of contacting and overseeing fire remediation services
  
  

Train Employees

If you want your plan to run smoothly, you should practice. Your employees need to be familiar with the plan to optimize safety. Make sure to simulate an emergency fire situation and use the evacuation routes at least twice per year. Include education about stopping, dropping and rolling- a technique used if your clothes are on fire. Additional fire safety tips include getting low to avoid inhaling smoke and testing door handles before grabbing them.
Emergency preparedness is essential for the safety of any workplace or commercial space. As a responsible business owner you should put together a fire escape plan as soon as possible, and keep it current as time rolls on.