Fire & Emergency Evacuation

Fire is a potential hazard in all workplaces, more of a risk in some than in others. Further, there
may be a number of other reasons why workers may have to evacuate. Has the employer done
everything possible to reduce the risk of a fire occurring? Is there an emergency evacuation plan in
place? The information provided here includes an Action Plan for reps, and a Fire Safety
Assessment Form.

The Problem
Legal Standards
Action Plan for HSRs

The Problem
Fires in the work environment have significant potential to cause losses. These losses may be in
the form of:

Loss of life
Injury to employees
Property damage
Product damage
Equipment damage
Loss of information
Community damage; and
Environmental damage
Fire causation factors

Many fires can be attributed to malfunctions in electrical equipment through component failure.
The following can cause component failure:

Defective components or manufacture;

Overworking
Inappropriate use
Inadequate ventilation and overheating
Ageing
Lack of maintenance or neglect
Mistreatment or damage
Housekeeping
Flammable materials or substances stored or used incorrectly pose a potential fire risk. Poor
housekeeping, for example, where waste material is stored or allowed to accumulate in
inappropriate locations, such as exit routes, increases the likelihood of a fire occurring.

Some dusts (such as flour dust, coal dust, even dust from fabrics) have the potential to explode
when coming into contact with an ignition source.

Legal Standards
Under Section 21 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 the employer has a duty to
provide and maintain a healthy and safe working environment. This includes providing a safe
system of work, information, training, supervision, and where appropriate personal protective
equipment. Under Section 26, persons who manage or control workplaces must ensure that the
workplace and the means of entering and leaving it are safe and without risks to health.

Action Plan for Health and Safety Representatives

As with all workplace hazards, fire should be dealt with in this way:
Identification of the hazard
Assessment of the risk
Control: Elimination or reduction of the risk
Review and evaluation of any control strategies.
1 - Identification of Fire Hazards

Ensure you look for fire hazards as part of your regular workplace inspections. Use checklists to
identify fire hazards and to check the effectiveness of warning systems and emergency procedures.
Develop specific checklists to enable the process of identification to be carried out. These
checklists should be developed either with other OHS reps or the OHS Committee. You can
download a brief checklist here - you will need to adapt it for your workplace.
Ensure that the employer has provided you with all relevant information to identify and assess any
hazards. This includes Material Safety Data Sheets for all substances used and stored at the
workplace, properties of building materials, etc
Discuss the issue of fire hazards with members of your designated work group.
Ensure that all incidents are recorded.

2 - Assessment of the risk

Check all MSDS to ensure that flammable substances are used and stored correctly.
Check any past incidents.

3 - Control: Elimination/reduction of risk

As with other hazards, the preferred order of control should be followed - start by trying to
eliminate the hazard at the design stage. Sometimes a combination of control methods should be
used.

Fire and Emergency Evacuation Plan

The emergency plan should cover:

Immediate action to stop or minimise the hazard (eg use of fire extinguishers if trained);
the need to stay calm;
who to call to raise the alarm;
how to notify emergency personnel (ambulance, fire brigade, SES, electricity, gas, police);
how, when and where to evacuate;
names of the key leaders responsible for making decisions during the emergency (and their duties
eg, a warden);
how to establish and use a fail-safe communications system.
S: http://www.ohsrep.org.au/hazards/workplace-conditions/fire-and-emergency-evacuation (Luke
Hilakari)

It is vital to have a fire plan in the workplace that ensures all employees can get out of the building
safely. Whether you are the employee or the employer, there are a number of things you need to
make sure are known to be prepared for, and properly deal with a fire at work. There is no use
with only having a ‘hazy idea’ of what evacuation procedures and fire fighting steps that should be
taken.

Escape Routes

All employees should know their fire escape plan. There needs to be at least two ways to get out
of a building, in case one of them has been blocked by fire. If you are the employer, make sure
that all employees know what their escape options are.

There must ALWAYS be a clear path to each exit. Obstacles in the way can cause people to trip
and fall, adding more possibility of injuries.
Make sure all escape routes are clearly marked so those who are trying to escape the building have
no problem finding where they need to go during a stressful situation.

Fire Safety
When it comes to those escape options, it is vital to make sure the doors are unlocked when there
are employees or visitors in the building. You don’t want employees to go to what they think is a
way to get out of a building safely and be stuck inside because the door has been chained or
locked.

Never wedge fire doors open as they are designed to protect escape routes and prevent the spread
of toxic smoke and fumes. And as fire needs oxygen to survive, a fresh feed of air through wedged
open fire doors may only lead to building the fire hazard.

Fire Fighting

There should always be fire extinguishers in your workplace. If a fire is caught soon enough, a fire
extinguisher may be enough to put it out and save property and lives. Make sure you have an
ample number of fire extinguishers available through the building, which are designed for use in
your particular industry (eg. if chemical-related fire then use specific extinguisher, etc.).

Fire extinguishers should be inspected regularly to keep them in good working condition.

Workers should be warned not to attempt to deal with a fire unless they have been trained to do so.
If you have been given permission to deal with a fire, consider these steps:

1. Follow your training procedures – never putting yourself at risk.

2. Always ensure there is an escape route between you and the fire.
3. If your clothes catch fire, drop to the floor and roll around. This will help to extinguish the
flames. Your training should have covered this and you most probably know it as the ‘stop, drop
and roll’.

Fire Evacuations

Always have an evacuation plan in place and let employees know where they should go outside
the building once they are safe. Put together a plan that makes sure that everyone checks in with
someone, so you know that all employees and visitors are accounted for – and have escaped safely
and are not trapped inside.

Discovering a Fire

If you ever discover a fire follow these steps:

1. Remain calm.
2. Sound the fire alarm and/or alert all the occupants to evacuate.
3. Alert the fire brigade by dialling 000 (or your Security Staff – depending on what procedures
are currently in place).
4. Leave the building immeidately via the closest escape route. Never use the lift (elevator).
5. Assemble with other staff at the evacuation assembly point.
6. Apon their arrival, inform the firefighters of the situation.

Evacuating the Building

Upon being told to evacuate, or hearing the fire alarm, follow these steps:

1. Remain calm.
2. Stop what you are doing. Leave the building immediately via the closest escape route. Never
use the lift (elevator).
3. Walk briskly, and never turn back.
4. Never take anything with you.
5. Always follow the Fire Warden’s instructions.
6. Before opening any door feel the door and door handle. Never open a warm door as there could
be a fire behind it.
7. If the door is hot when you feel it then take another route. A window might be an option.
8. If you encounter smoke during your evacuation, drop to the floor and crawl.
9. Close all doors behind you and all windows along the way, as fresh air feeds fire.
10. Assemble and remain at the evacuation assembly point. Do NOT return to the building until
you are told by either the fire brigade or your immediate supervisor that it is safe.
11. Notify someone of any injuries you have sustained, as soon as possible.
12. Never cancel a fire alarm. Fire alarms should only be reset by those directed to do so.

If for some reason you are unable to get out of the building.

1. Alert others of your presence – via a phone, standing at a window, or by opening the window
and hanging a sheet or something to alert fire fighters of your presence.
2. Keep a wet cloth over your mouth.
3. Stay as close to the ground as possible. Not only will you be able to see better, there is more
oxygen.
4. Keep the door closed to stop smoke getting into the room.
5. Block up the cracks around the doors, if possible with wet cloths, to stop smoke getting in.
6. If there is a lot of smoke, keep your hand against the wall to guide you if you need to move
about.
7. If your clothes catch fire, immediately drop to the floor and roll around. This will help to
extinguish the flames.

Fires and evacuations are serious matters, therefore fire drills are essential for the safety of all staff
(and visitors) of a workplace.

Emergency Planning
Why have an emergency plan?
A definite plan to deal with major emergencies is an important element of OH&S programs.

Besides the major benefit of providing guidance during an emergency, developing the plan has
other advantages. You may discover unrecognized hazardous conditions that would aggravate an
emergency situation and you can work to eliminate them. The planning process may bring to light
deficiencies, such as the lack of resources (equipment, trained personnel, supplies), or items that
can be rectified before an emergency occurs. In addition an emergency plan promotes safety
awareness and shows the organization's commitment to the safety of workers.

The lack of an emergency plan could lead to severe losses such as multiple casualties and possible
financial collapse of the organization.

An attitude of "it can't happen here" may be present. People may not be willing to take the time
and effort to examine the problem. However, emergency planning is an important part of company
operation.

Since emergencies will occur, preplanning is necessary. An urgent need for rapid decisions,
shortage of time, and lack of resources and trained personnel can lead to chaos during an
emergency. Time and circumstances in an emergency mean that normal channels of authority and
communication cannot be relied upon to function routinely. The stress of the situation can lead to
poor judgment resulting in severe losses.
What is the overall objective of the plan?
An emergency plan specifies procedures for handling sudden or unexpected situations. The
objective is to be prepared to:

Prevent fatalities and injuries.

Reduce damage to buildings, stock, and equipment.
Protect the environment and the community.
Accelerate the resumption of normal operations.
Development of the plan begins with a vulnerability assessment. The results of the study will
show:

How likely a situation is to occur.

What means are available to stop or prevent the situation.
What is necessary for a given situation.
From this analysis, appropriate emergency procedures can be established.

At the planning stage, it is important that several groups be asked to participate. Among these
groups, the health and safety committee can provide valuable input and a means of wider worker
involvement. Appropriate municipal officials should also be consulted since control may be
exercised by the local government in major emergencies and additional resources may be
available. Communication, training and periodic drills will ensure adequate performance if the
plan must be carried out.

What is a vulnerability assessment?

Although emergencies by definition are sudden events, their occurrence can be predicted with
some degree of certainty. The first step is to find which hazards pose a threat to any specific
enterprise.

When a list of hazards is made, records of past incidents and occupational experience are not the
only sources of valuable information. Since major emergencies are rare events, knowledge of both
technological (chemical or physical) and natural hazards can be broadened by consulting with fire
departments, insurance companies, engineering consultants, and government departments.

What are technological and natural hazards?

Examples of technological hazards are:

Fire.
Explosion.
Building collapse.
Major structural failure.
Spills of flammable liquids.
Accidental release of toxic substances.
Deliberate release of hazardous biological agents, or toxic chemicals.
Other terrorist activities.
Exposure to ionizing radiation.
Loss of electrical power.
Loss of water supply.
Loss of communications.
Areas where flammables, explosives, or chemicals are used or stored should be considered as the
most likely place for a technological hazard emergency to occur.

The risk from natural hazards is not the same across Canada but the list would include:

Floods.
Earthquakes.
Tornadoes.
Other severe wind storms.
Snow or ice storms.
Severe extremes in temperature (cold or hot).
Pandemic diseases like influenza.
The possibility of one event triggering others must be considered. An explosion may start a fire
and cause structural failure while an earthquake might initiate many of the technological events
listed above.

What is the series of events or decisions that should be considered?

Having identified the hazards, the possible major impacts of each should be itemized, such as:

Sequential events (for example, a fire after an explosion).

Evacuation.
Casualties.
Damage to plant infrastructure.
Loss of vital records/documents.
Damage to equipment.
Disruption of work.
Based on these events, the required actions are determined. For example:

Declare emergency.
Sound the alert.
Evacuate danger zone.
Close main shutoffs.
Call for external aid.
Initiate rescue operations.
Attend to casualties.
Fight fire.
The final consideration is a list and the location of resources needed:

Medical supplies.
Auxiliary communication equipment.
Power generators.
Respirators.
Chemical and radiation detection equipment.
Mobile equipment.
Emergency protective clothing.
Fire fighting equipment.
Ambulance.
Rescue equipment.
Trained personnel.

What are the elements of the emergency plan?

The emergency plan includes:

All possible emergencies, consequences, required actions, written procedures, and the resources
available.
Detailed lists of personnel including their home telephone numbers, their duties and
responsibilities.
Floor plans.
Large scale maps showing evacuation routes and service conduits (such as gas and water lines).
Since a sizable document will likely result, the plan should provide staff members with written
instructions about their particular emergency duties.
The following are examples of the parts of an emergency plan. These elements may not cover
every situation in every workplace but serve they are provided as a general guideline when writing
a workplace specific plan:

Objective

The objective is a brief summary of the purpose of the plan; that is, to reduce human injury and
damage to property and environment in an emergency. It also specifies those staff members who
may put the plan into action. The objective identifies clearly who these staff members are since the
normal chain of command cannot always be available on short notice. At least one of them must
be on the site at all times when the premises are occupied. The extent of authority of these
personnel must be clearly indicated.

Organization

One individual should be appointed and trained to act as Emergency Co-ordinator as well as a
"back-up" co-ordinator. However, personnel on site during an emergency are key in ensuring that
prompt and efficient action is taken to minimize loss. In some cases it may be possible to recall
off-duty employees to help, but the critical initial decisions usually must be made immediately.

Specific duties, responsibilities, authority, and resources must be clearly defined. Among the
responsibilities that must be assigned are:

Reporting the emergency.

Activating the emergency plan.
Assuming overall command.
Establishing communication.
Alerting staff.
Ordering evacuation.
Alerting external agencies.
Confirming evacuation is complete.
Alerting outside population of possible risk.
Requesting external aid.
Coordinating activities of various groups.
Advising relatives of casualties.
Providing medical aid.
Ensuring emergency shut offs are closed.
Sounding the all-clear.
Advising media.
This list of responsibilities should be completed using the previously developed summary of
countermeasures for each emergency situation. In organizations operating on reduced staff during
some shifts, some personnel must assume extra responsibilities during emergencies. Sufficient
alternates for each responsible position must be named to ensure that someone with authority is
available onsite at all times.

External organizations that may be available to assist (with varying response times) include:

Fire departments.
Mobile rescue squads.
Ambulance services.
Police departments.
Telephone companies.
Hospitals.
Utility companies.
Industrial neighbours.
Government agencies.
These organizations should be contacted in the planning stages to discuss each of their roles
during an emergency. Mutual aid with other industrial facilities in the area should be explored.

Pre-planned coordination is necessary to avoid conflicting responsibilities. For example, the

police, fire department, ambulance service, rescue squad, company fire brigade, and the first aid
team may be on the scene simultaneously. A pre-determined chain of command in such a situation
is required to avoid organizational difficulties. Under certain circumstances, an outside agency
may assume command.

Possible problems in communication have been mentioned in several contexts. Efforts should be
made to seek alternate means of communication during an emergency, especially between key
personnel such as overall commander, on-scene commander, engineering, fire brigade, medical,
rescue, and outside agencies. Depending on the size of the organization and physical layout of the
premises, it may be advisable to plan for an emergency control centre with alternate
communication facilities. All personnel with alerting or reporting responsibilities must be
provided with a current list of telephone numbers and addresses of those people they may have to
contact.

Procedures

Many factors determine what procedures are needed in an emergency, such as:

Nature of emergency.
Degree of emergency.
Size of organization.
Capabilities of the organization in an emergency situation.
Immediacy of outside aid.
Physical layout of the premises.
Common elements to be considered in all emergencies include pre-emergency preparation and
provisions for alerting and evacuating staff, handling casualties, and for containing the danger.

Natural hazards, such as floods or severe storms, often provide prior warning. The plan should
take advantage of such warnings with, for example, instructions on sand bagging, removal of
equipment to needed locations, providing alternate sources of power, light or water, extra
equipment, and relocation of personnel with special skills. Phased states of alert allow such
measures to be initiated in an orderly manner.

The evacuation order is of greatest importance in alerting staff. To avoid confusion, only one type
of signal should be used for the evacuation order. Commonly used for this purpose are sirens, fire
bells, whistles, flashing lights, paging system announcements, or word-of-mouth in noisy
environments. The all-clear signal is less important since time is not such an urgent concern.

The following are "musts":

Identify evacuation routes, alternate means of escape, make these known to all staff; keep the
routes unobstructed.
Specify safe locations for staff to gather for head counts to ensure that everyone has left the danger
zone. Assign individuals to assist employees with disabilities.
Carry out treatment of the injured and search for the missing simultaneously with efforts to
contain the emergency.
Provide alternate sources of medical aid when normal facilities may be in the danger zone.
Ensure the safety of all staff (and/or the general public) first, then deal with the fire or other
situation.
Testing and Revision

Completing a comprehensive plan for handling emergencies is a major step toward preventing
disasters. However, it is difficult to predict all of the problems that may happen unless the plan is
tested. Exercises and drills may be conducted to practice all or critical portions (such as
evacuation) of the plan. A thorough and immediate review after each exercise, drill, or after an
actual emergency will point out areas that require improvement. Knowledge of individual
responsibilities can be evaluated through paper tests or interviews.

The plan should be revised when shortcomings have become known, and should be reviewed at
least annually. Changes in plant infrastructure, processes, materials used, and key personnel are
occasions for updating the plan.

It should be stressed that provision must be made for the training of both individuals and teams, if
they are expected to perform adequately in an emergency. An annual full-scale exercise will help
in maintaining a high level of proficiency.

FIRE PROCEDURE:
If you discover a fire:

Leave the fire area and close the door to the area
Actuate the fire alarm
Immediately evacuate the building via the shortest and safest route. Avoid elevators
Trained individuals may use fire extinguishers on very small fires AFTER the fire alarm is
actuated and people are evacuating
If you notice smoke, use an alternate escape route
Check route for safety before proceeding and close (do not lock) doors behind you.
Stay low to the ground through smoke filled areas.
Go to a safe area - if possible to the assembly area at (location)
(instructions to reach assembly area)
__________ will determine personnel status. Remain there until designated person takes charge /
dismissed by your supervisor / instructed to move elsewhere by emergency personnel.
From nearest phone in safe area, call xxx. Provide details as requested.
Await emergency personnel at safe location and direct them to the scene.
Do not re-enter the building until directed to do so by a supervisor or the Fire Marshal.
If you hear a fire alarm:

Immediately evacuate the building via the shortest and safest exit route. Avoid elevators.
If you notice smoke, use an alternate escape route.
Check paths for safety before proceeding and close (but do not lock) doors behind you.
Stay low to the ground if you have to pass through smoke.
Move immediately to the assembly area
xxx will determine personnel status. Remain there until dismissed by your supervisor or instructed
to move elsewhere by emergency personnel.
Do not re-enter the building until directed to do so by a supervisor or the Fire Marshal.
Special Instructions

Stop any procedures which should not be left unattended.

Extinguish open flames, close any noxious or flammable gas supplies.
Do not waste time turning off computer systems or office machinery.
Personnel in wheelchairs exit - (special guidance for handicapped personnel)
S: http://www.systemiccoaching.com/emergency/fire_plan.htm

PPE
Personal Protective Equipment - PPE
- when and how should this be used?
There are times when it will be necessary to use personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect
workers from being affected by certain hazards.
However, to most effectively remove or reduce the incidence of occupational injury or illness, the
risks associated with exposure to workplace hazards must be controlled at the source.

The following lists - in order of preference - the control strategies which should be considered for
each hazard. This is the 'preferred order of control' or the 'hierarchy of control'. In some instances
a range of control methods may be needed.

Elimination
Substitution or Modification
Engineering Controls
Administrative Procedures
Personal Protective Equipment
PPE (such as face masks, respirators, gloves, boots, overalls, goggles and ear-muffs) should be
regarded only as a short term measure until more effective control strategies are implemented, or
in very limited situations (such as emergency clean-up). Often, PPE has a number of limitations as
an effective control method:

In many instances, available PPE does not meet standards, or is not adequately maintained, and
thus does not provide real protection;
Use of PPE puts the onus on the worker to protect themselves - PPE is often seen as the only
method of controlling hazards, rather than focusing on making the place of work safe;
Use of PPE makes the job more difficult to perform;
Use of PPE may impede warnings of danger;
Use of PPE may cause other health problems (e.g. ear infections); there are sometimes issues with
hygiene if PPE is shared
PPE is generally not individually fitted, and thus frequently fails to provide full protection;
PPE may be uncomfortable, causing workers to remove PPE, thus exposing them to risk;
Full and adequate training in the need for, and use of PPE does not generally accompany its issue.
PPE should only be used:

when no other control method is possible;

while other controls are being installed or implemented;
for emergencies and during maintenance activities;
for situations where other control methods don't provide enough protection.
How to select PPE
Once the need for PPE has been established, the next task is to select the proper type. Use the
following guidelines to help ensure the best PPE is selected. Remember the employer must do all
the following in consultation with the HSR:

Match the PPE to the hazard. There are no shortcuts to PPE selection. Conduct a complete hazard
assessment and choose the right PPE to match the hazards.
Get expert advice and shop around. Discuss your needs with an occupational health and safety
specialist and trained sales representatives. Ask for alternatives, and check into product claims and
test data. Any proposed PPE must be approved and consistent with Australian standards
Involve the workers who need to use the PPE in evaluations. Various models should be trialed by
workers at the workplace so they have the opportunity to evaluate them.
Consider the physical comfort of PPE (ergonomics). If a PPE device is unnecessarily heavy or
poorly fitted it is unlikely that it will be worn. Use every opportunity to provide flexibility in the
choice of PPE as long as it meets required legislation and standards.
Evaluate cost considerations. The cost of PPE is often a concern and disposable options are not
always cheaper in the long term.

The FireRescue1 Personal Protective Equipment product category is a collection of information,

product listings and resources for researching Personal Protective Equipment. Personal Protective
Equipment is designed to protect firefighters from serious injuries or illnesses resulting from
contact with chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical or other hazards. It covers a
variety of devices and garments such as respirators, turnout gear, gloves, blankets and gas masks.
NEWS
Cebu house, scrap iron shop destroyed by fire

By: Michaela Dolores / @inquirerdotnet

Inquirer Visayas / 01:14 PM September 30, 2016
CEBU CITY—Fire of still unknown origin destroyed a residential house and a scrap iron shop in
Lucio Lopez Drive, Barangay (village) Calamba, Cebu City on Friday morning.
Initial investigation by the Bureau of Fire showed that the blaze started from the room of the
nephew of Normalinda Uy Villegas at10:23 a.m. and was controlled 15 minutes later.
SFO2 Ronald delos Reyes said the fire may have been triggered by an overheated electric fan
inside the room of Jefferson Uy although this had yet to be confirmed by investigators.
Delos Reyes said the fire was controlled immediately because the house where the scrap iron shop
was located was just along the road./rga