Site Evacuation Plans

Site Evacuation Plans

Emergency situations may call for all persons on site to be relocated to a designated area for their safety.  The following sections outline the considerations that should be taken into account when planning and proceeding with the evacuation of a site. 

In many cases, the client will have an evacuation plan in place.  In these cases, ACRO Refrigeration employees will follow the clients plan. 

Where there is no plan in existence, ACRO Refrigeration will develop its own evacuation plan.

Evacuation Planning 

When planning the evacuation procedure for your site, you will need: 

A drawing of your site on which to map out your escape routes, hidden areas, etc
A notebook to write the draft of your evacuation plan that should include –
o The general procedures detailed below, and
o Anything about your particular site that you feel deserves special mention

The essential elements of an evacuation plan are:

Established evacuation point
Established escape route
Established alternative escape route
Inspection of hidden areas
Site communication protocol
Head count procedure
Procedure for safeguarding cash and other valuables

Establish Evacuation Point 

The evacuation point needs to be located away from the site, to the extent that people will be safe from fire, flying glass and away from danger.  Avoid allocating an evacuation point that will involve crossing roads.  If possible, locate a place where people can be sheltered from the site by other buildings and structures rather than on a nature strip in front of the site.  Describe the evacuation point in the plan and mark it on the site drawing. 

Escape Route 

Once an evacuation point has been identified, decide upon the most apparent and accessible route of escape from the site.  It is important that exit points are always kept clear of debris and flammable material.  In addition, doors must be properly maintained so that access is possible at all times.  Where possible, avoid an escape route that may hinder emergency service vehicles arriving at the site.  Draw and label the escape route on the site drawing. 

Escape Alternate Escape Route 

In any given emergency situation, fire and fallen materials could block the most apparent escape route.  Identify an alternative escape routes that can be used if necessary.  Draw and label the alternative escape routes on the site drawing. 

Inspection of Hidden Areas 

There may be areas on site that can conceal employees, contractors and customers from sight.  In planning evacuations, identify any such areas, and incorporate them into the plan.  In particular, be aware of: 

Any areas leading to blind passages
Doors that lead to dead ends
Other concealed areas such as cool rooms, strong rooms, and storage areas

Highlight these areas on the site drawing.

On Site Communication 

There are various types of people on site who will require notification of an evacuation.  There is a need to alert employees, contractors, customers and others on site. 

Site communications involve: 

Checking all areas on site for employees, contractors, clients and members of the public
Announcing the need for evacuation over the public address system

Additionally, ACRO Refrigeration’s employees should assess whether the scale of the emergency requires notifying the occupants of surrounding dwellings and businesses as to the need for evacuating a wider area.  Include contact information for neighbouring businesses in the evacuation plan. 

Evacuation of Mobility Impaired Persons 

If a person is mobility impaired to the extent where an immediate or swift evacuation is not practical, an employee should accompany the person throughout the evacuation. 

Headcount Procedure 

Before the evacuation begins, it is important to account, to the best of your ability, for the number of employees, contractors, clients and members of the public that are on site.  Once you reach the evacuation point, all of these people must be accounted for by way of a head count.  If there appears to be anyone missing, a ACRO Refrigeration employee should return to the site to locate them, if it is safe to do so.  If a secondary search fails to locate the missing people, or it is not safe to return to site, notify the first emergency service unit to arrive on site. 

Safeguarding Cash and Valuables 

If time permits, and it is safe to do so, employees should close and lock all tills and cabinets containing valuables before leaving the building.  They should also close the doors. 

Considerations before Proceeding with an Evacuation 

Evacuations will be safer and more effective when all employees on site are aware of the situation at hand.  If the site manager is on site, all employees are to follow their instructions.  Before evacuating, ensure that all employees are aware of: 

The type, scope and location of the emergency
Who will be responsible for on site communications
The number of employees, contractors, customers and members of the public on site

Considerations throughout Evacuation 

Where there are two or more ACRO Refrigeration employees on site, ensure that there is effective communication between you to avoid duplicating efforts and creating misunderstandings.  To the best of your ability, encourage other people on site to follow the preferred escape route. 

It is of the utmost importance that ACRO Refrigeration employees remain calm in their response to the need for evacuation.  The evacuation plan is intended to create a level of certainty in evacuation proceedings.  However, the primary focus is to remove people from the source of harm


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