The safety of workers is something that the Australian government takes seriously, which is the reason why legislation is in place that mandates emergency preparedness for all industries. Being prepared to handle emergencies is of utmost importance combined with the proper mindset and equipment.
Evacuation Plan/Procedure Requirements
Employers should take into consideration the needs of their employees when they wish to implement the Work Health and Safety (WH&S) procedures.
For employers, this is a responsibility that you have to make to ensure that all employees are aware of the procedures needed to be performed. Consider these things for your evacuation procedure which includes mobility impaired persons.
- There need to be the right structures in place to make sure that all of your employees are able to evacuate during an emergency
- Having a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) is required to ensure everyone can evacuate the building safely
- Have a plan in place prior to an emergency to assist any persons with mobility impairments evacuating.
Information covered in the Emergency Evacuation Plan:
- Building name, address and phone numbers
- Emergency numbers (e.g. emergency services such as fire department, ambulance, and police department)
- Names of any wardens that are trained in the building
- Contact details for all on-site personnel with emergency training
- Emergency evacuation diagrams; business specific diagrams will be designed and given as part of the emergency evacuation plan
- Fire emergency procedure
- Medical emergency procedure
- Evacuation procedure
- First Aid procedure
- Building services procedures
- Emergency needs analysis procedure
- Civil disorder / Bomb threat procedures
- Workplace conflict and resolution.
Recent Changes to Australian Standards for Evacuation Plans
The changes to the Australian Standard AS 3745-2010 provide several elements that emergency plans should now include. Some of the changes are:
- The addition of routine and maintenance servicing requirements for the plan
- Wider definitions for the emergency features including security and safety considerations
- The addition of a separate portion for the emergency response exercises
Fire Safe ANZ Can Help You Create an Evacuation Plan Compliant to Australian Standards
Our company will work hand-in-hand with your Emergency Planning Committee (EPC) to create a customised plan for your emergency response. This plan will have site-specific data on your building to make sure that all of your occupants and visitors are knowledgeable about how to respond to fire or emergency situations.
All of the emergency evacuation procedures and plans we create are fully compliant with the AS 3745-2010 Emergency Control Organisation and Procedures for structures, workplaces and buildings.
If you’re interested in our expertise, contact us now to learn more.