Creating an Effective Office Fire Escape Plan

3/18/2022 (Permalink)

Evacuation route planning.

Developing a Fire-Escape Plan for Your Office

With the hectic daily operations of any business in Briarwood, NY, it’s often difficult to carve out time to prepare for emergencies. This is particularly true with smaller companies that don’t have mandated drills or contingency plans. However, it’s essential for any business owner to have an emergency escape plan in place to protect workers and assets. The following steps will help make sure you are prepared.

1. Assign Roles

The first step in creating a fire escape plan is to assign various workers to be in charge. A coordinator needs to be accountable for fire drills, extinguisher training and evacuation route planning. Every worker should know where the fire alarms are located so all employees can be immediately alerted to a problem. If your office has various floors, each floor should have a person designated to clear it and ensure workers are not left behind. It’s also a good idea to plan help for any employee who may have difficulty getting down the stairs.

2. Create a Chain of Command

Once employees are safe and the fire department is in control, there should be a person in charge to communicate protocols. This involves having updated contact information for all employees, so that instructions on contingency plans can be quickly sent out via a call tree or mass email. The supervisor or designee should have an offsite checklist with contact information to call the insurance company and a competent fire restoration company.

3. Prevent Problems

Although a good fire escape plan is essential, you always hope you won’t need it. The fire department will do an annual inspection of your property, so use this as a tool to identify areas of concern. Consider moving essential equipment or files into fireproof rooms and safes. Finally, make sure all exits are clearly marked and easily accessible.
Every business should have a detailed fire escape plan. It involves designating particular employees to be in charge of training and evacuation routes. If you have a clear chain of command, you will be prepared for potential fires and have the peace of mind that you are keeping your employees safe.