A fire evacuation plan on paper is a good start. A drill shows whether it works in real life. Regular drills help people react calmly and quickly if the alarm goes off for real.
Before the drill
- Check your plan against your fire risk assessment so everyone is practising the actual escape routes.
- Choose who is in charge, such as your fire wardens, and brief them.
- Decide what you want to learn: Can everyone hear the alarm? Are exits clear? Do visitors know what to do?
- Think about people who need extra help, including anyone with a mobility, hearing or sight difficulty. Personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs) should be tested too.
During the drill
- Sound the alarm as you would in a real event.
- Ask people to leave by the nearest safe exit and go to the assembly point.
- Use a roll call or headcount at the assembly point.
- Have wardens sweep their areas, checking nobody is left behind, without putting themselves at risk.
- Make a note of the time it takes and anything that slows people down: blocked doors, congested stairs, confusion about where to go.
After the drill
Gather your wardens and talk about what went well and what did not. Fix problems promptly: clear obstructions, correct signage, update the plan. Then record the drill in your fire safety register, including date, time taken, issues found and actions agreed.
How often?
There is no single rule that fits every building. Many workplaces run a drill at least once a year, and more often where staff turnover is high, where people sleep on site or where the layout changes. Your fire risk assessment will help you decide.
A note on tone
Keep drills calm and friendly. The goal is confidence, not fear. A brief thank you to staff afterwards goes a long way.
Legal background
The Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 expect a person in control of premises to take reasonable measures to ensure people’s safety in the event of fire. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 sets wider duties on employers. Evacuation planning is a practical part of meeting both.
Want a second pair of eyes on your evacuation arrangements? Call 086 275 9728 or email info@safersolutions.ie to arrange a fire risk assessment. Read more on our fire risk assessments in Ireland page.