What is a fire drill ? Procedure for the health and safety Sector in being prepared for a Fire

3. THE IMPORTANCE OF A FIRE DRILL
• IT HELPS PREPARE EMPLOYEES FOR AN EMERGENCY AND PIN-POINT CHALLENGES THEY MAY FACE IN AN
EVACUATION; INAPPROPRIATE ACTIONS, E.G. STOPPING TO COLLECT PERSONAL ITEMS, ATTEMPTING TO
USE LIFTS ETC.
• IT HELPS TRAIN EVERY PERSONNEL INVOLVED ABOUT THEIR ROLE OF ASSISTING DISABLED PEOPLE
DURING EMERGENCY EVACUATIONS. ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED DURING EVACUATION/FIRE DRILL ARE
RECORDED AND DOCUMENTED.
• IT HELPS PREMISES CHECK THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THEIR EVACUATION PLANS. PROBLEMS WITH THE
EMERGENCY SYSTEM OR EVACUATION PROCEDURES ARE IDENTIFIED AND IMPROVED.

4. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
• WHEN THERE’S A FIRE INSIDE YOUR BUILDING, YOU NEED TO GET OUT IMMEDIATELY! SINCE SMOKE FROM A FIRE CAN MAKE IT
DIFFICULT TO SEE, IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE BEST WAY TO EXIT THE BUILDING. HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS? YOU SHOULD HAVE
A PLAN BEFORE A FIRE EVEN HAPPENS. HERE’S HOW TO BE PREPARED BEFORE A FIRE:
• HAVE A PLAN AND PRACTICE IT. THIS PLAN SHOULD INCLUDE FIRE DRILLS. A FIRE DRILL CAN HELP YOU PRACTICE LEAVING YOUR
BUILDING QUICKLY AND SAFELY. DON’T FORGET TO TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN GET OUT. LEARN MORE ABOUT HAVING A
DISASTER PLAN.
• PREVENTING FIRES IS EVERYBODY’S JOB. FIRES WREAK HAVOC AMONG WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND DESTROY THOUSANDS
AND DESTROY THOUSANDS OF BUSINESSES EACH YEAR, PUTTING PEOPLE OUT OF WORK AND SEVERELY IMPACTING THEIR
LIVELIHOODS. THE HUMAN AND FINANCIAL TOLL UNDERSCORES THE SERIOUS NATURE OF WORKPLACE FIRES.
• UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE DOZENS OF WAYS FOR WORKPLACE FIRES TO START—CHEMICALS, ELECTRICITY, FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS,
COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS, COMPRESSED GASES, SMOKING, EVEN POOR HOUSEKEEPING. WE NEED TO PROTECT AGAINST ALL THESE
POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARDS ALL THE TIME TO MAKE SURE WE’RE NOT PART OF THE STATISTIC IN WORKPLACES THAT GO UP IN
SMOKE.

5. PLANNING IS
ESSENTIAL BEFORE
ANY FIRE DRILL.
• DETERMINE THE ASSEMBLY AREA.
• DETERMINE IF THE EVACUATION ROUTE, EXIT DOORS, AND
EMERGENCY STAIRCASES ARE NOT OBSTRUCTED.
• ENSURE COMMANDS AND EVACUATION ORDERS FOR BUILDING
OCCUPANTS ARE PREPARED BEFORE AN EVACUATION/FIRE DRILL
STARTS.
• DETERMINE THE TYPES OF BUILDINGS: (ONE/MULTIPLE
DEPARTMENTS? SINGLE/MULTIPLE-STOREY OR CONSTRUCTED WITH
FIRE-RESISTANT MATERIALS)
• DETERMINE THE OCCUPANTS OF THE BUILDING (NUMBER, LOCATION,
PHYSICAL CONDITIONS. THE RESPONSES EXPECTED FROM THE
OCCUPANTS IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.)

6. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE
FIRE DRILL?
• TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE IN A BUILDING IS AWARE OF HOW TO GET
OUT OF IT IN THE QUICKEST AND SAFEST WAY POSSIBLE IN CASE OF
EMERGENCY.
• TO IDENTIFY ANY WEAKNESSES IN THE EVACUATION STRATEGY;
WEAKNESSES IN EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PROCEDURES AND
SYSTEMS.
• TO TEST THE PROCEDURE FOLLOWING ANY ALTERATION OR
WORKPLACE PRACTICES CHANGES.
• TO FAMILIARIZE NEW OCCUPANTS WITH PROCEDURES.
• TO TEST THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR DISABLED PEOPLE.
• TO IDENTIFY POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE REACTIONS OF STAFF TO
EMERGENCY RESPONSE.

7. PLANNING IS ESSENTIAL BEFORE ANY FIRE DRILL
• DETERMINE THE ASSEMBLY AREA.
• DETERMINE IF THE EVACUATION ROUTE, EXIT DOORS, AND EMERGENCY STAIRCASES
ARE NOT OBSTRUCTED.
• ENSURE COMMANDS AND EVACUATION ORDERS FOR BUILDING OCCUPANTS ARE
PREPARED BEFORE AN EVACUATION/FIRE DRILL STARTS.
• DETERMINE THE TYPES OF BUILDINGS: (ONE/MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS?
SINGLE/MULTIPLE-STOREY OR CONSTRUCTED WITH FIRE-RESISTANT MATERIALS)
• DETERMINE THE OCCUPANTS OF THE BUILDING (NUMBER, LOCATION, PHYSICAL
CONDITIONS. THE RESPONSES EXPECTED FROM THE OCCUPANTS IN EMERGENCY
SITUATIONS.)

8. PROCEDURE FOR A FIRE DRILL
PARTICIPATION
ALL BUILDING OCCUPANTS SHOULD
PARTICIPATE IN AN EVACUATION/FIRE DRILL
WITH THE OBSERVATION OF SKILLED
PERSONS, ESPECIALLY, FROM THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT.
INFORMATION
CIRCULATE DETAILS CONCERNING THE DRILL
TO INFORM ALL PEOPLE OF THEIR DUTY TO
PARTICIPATE. 'SURPRISE DRILLS' MAY POSE A
HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK.
INFORM VISITORS AND MEMBERS OF THE
PUBLIC IF THEY ARE PRESENT.
COORDINATION
COORDINATE THE FIRE ALARM DRILL WITH ANY
OTHER BUILDING OCCUPANTS /
DEPARTMENTS. THEIR AWARENESS OF THE
DRILL WILL PREVENT CASES OF CAUSING
PANIC AND DISRUPTION IN THEIR PREMISES.

9. PROCEDURE FOR A FIRE DRILL . . . . CONTINUE
CHECK
CHECK EXTERNAL STAIRS AND ROUTES TO
ENSURE THAT THERE ARE NO HAZARDS OR
CONDITIONS THAT MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT
EG, DAMAGE TO STEPS, RUBBISH OR
OBSTRUCTIONS. THE CLEANLINESS & CHECKS
OF ESCAPE ROUTES SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN
ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AVOID LIFTS FAMILIARIZE
FAMILIARIZE ALL STAFF WITH THE EVACUATION
PLANS AND ROUTES AND PRACTICE
REGULARLY TO ENCOURAGE ESCAPE VIA THE
NEAREST AVAILABLE EXIT INSTEAD OF USING
THE EVERYDAY WAY.
Exit

10. HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT WORKPLACE FIRES:
• STORE CHEMICALS PROPERLY IN TIGHTLY CLOSED CONTAINERS. READ LABELS AND MATERIAL
SAFETY DATA SHEETS (MSDS’S) FOR THE FIRE HAZARDS RELATED TO THE CHEMICALS YOU
USE.
• KEEP FLAMMABLE AND COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS AWAY FROM IGNITION SOURCES.
• KEEP INCOMPATIBLE CHEMICALS AWAY FROM EACH OTHER.
• CHECK CONTAINERS REGULARLY FOR DAMAGE OR LEAKS.
• CLEAN FLAMMABLE LIQUID SPILLS RIGHT AWAY, AND DISPOSE OF LIQUIDS AND CLEANUP
MATERIALS PROPERLY.
• MAKE SURE CORDS AND PLUGS ARE IN GOOD CONDITION BEFORE USING ELECTRICAL
EQUIPMENT.
• DON’T OVERLOAD ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS.

11. HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT WORKPLACE
FIRES: . . . CONTINUED
• KEEP HOT EQUIPMENT AWAY FROM COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS.
• SHUT DOWN ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT THAT SMOKES OR SPARKS.
• OBEY SMOKING RULES AND “NO SMOKING” SIGNS.
• EXTINGUISH CIGARETTES AND MATCHES COMPLETELY IN DESIGNATED CONTAINERS.
• HANDLE COMPRESSED GAS CYLINDERS CAREFULLY AND KEEP THEM AWAY FROM HEAT.
• KEEP YOUR WORK AREA FREE OF TRASH, COMBUSTIBLE SCRAP MATERIALS, AND OTHER
DEBRIS.
• PLACE OILY RAGS IN METAL CONTAINERS WITH LIDS.
• KEEP MACHINES FREE OF DUST AND GREASE.
• REPORT FIRE HAZARDS YOU CAN’T CORRECT YOURSELF