How To Conduct A Fire Drill With A Checklist

What Is a Fire Drill Checklist?

In case of fire, buildings must be evacuated quickly and all employees are required to go to the assembly point. However, the effectiveness of workplace evacuation in a highly hazardous situation is highly dependent on how people behave. That’s why conducting fire drills are important ​​— they help educate staff on how to safely exit the building through a simulation.

Fire drills or evacuation exercises are held at regular intervals because the more people are trained, the more likely they will remain calm during an emergency. This is because the fire drill walks them through what can happen and raises awareness on procedures that reduce panic.

When a fire drill takes place, proper planning and documentation of the process are paramount. Safety officers can use fire drill checklists to plan the emergency procedure and contribute significantly to the safe coordination of business emergency plans. In addition, the data collected from the fire drill can then be evaluated to improve and make future fire and evacuation drills more efficient to guarantee people’s safety.

Fire drills are one part of overall workplace fire safety and a legal requirement for companies in several countries. So, make sure you are aware of the requirements and regulations for inspecting and maintaining fire extinguishers as part of your overall fire safety procedures.

This article covers the following topics:

1. Tips on how to prepare for a fire drill

2. Points to include on a evacuation checklist

3. What the benefits of a digital solution are

How Do I Prepare for Fire Drills?

An evacuation drill should be carried out regularly, taking into account all possible risk factors. Even small deficiencies in the procedure can lead to devastating, even fatal, consequences. Therefore, every building or company should inform itself about the procedure and the correct communication of the behavior in an emergency, and coordinate the procedure to avoid ambiguities. Important factors for the emergency plan are, for example, the meeting points in case of an emergency, the exact evacuation procedure, and the existing or necessary equipment.

The following steps support the planning of the emergency evacuation checklist procedure and promote an efficient and regulated procedure:

• Lay down the emergency plan together. Plan what to expect during the emergency drill and organize teams for specific tasks. Be aware that unexpected problems may occur. Communicate the emergency evacuation plan clearly to your team and discuss behavior during the exercise. Before locking anything in, consult with trained firefighters who are responsible in case of an emergency.
• Communicate & document the process to everyone. People with special needs should be given special attention.
• Analyze the process to evaluate the whole process. Identify the risks and take action to improve, then create a report to comply with regulatory requirements.
• Assign wardens or marshalls ahead of time. Mindfully pick several people from your team who can function as fire wardens in case of a fire hazard. These individuals should be reliable, competent, and have experience in emergency training. Select an appropriate number considering possible shifts like holidays and unexpected absences.
• Always keep an updated register of all your staff. Perhaps one of the most simple but critical steps in preparing for a fire drill. You must know who the people are in the building at the moment of the incident so you can easily identify if anyone’s missing. This list should include scheduled visitors, too.

Apart from the preparation tips above, there are some things you can do on the day of the drill to get the most out of your simulation.

• Monitor the time. Recording the time of the actual simulation is important in identifying the efficiency of your evacuation procedures. Time it from the start of the alarm until the moment that the last person has gathered at the designated fire assembly point. Although the overall duration will depend on the size of the crowd and the building, the average drill lasts between 15-20 minutes. If the process is too long, then it would be good to revisit areas that can be improved to speed up the evacuation without compromising safety.
• Take notes. The perfect time to make observations is during the simulations. There may be some issues or challenges that were missed during the risk preparation that may become more evident during the drill. So, pay attention to what’s happening and take note of major observations that can potentially impact the effectiveness of your evacuation procedures.
• Document your drill. Make it a point to keep a record of all your drills and the people involved, and take visual documentation of your observations. This can serve as the basis and evidence of your report should it be requested by a Fire Safety Inspector.

What Are the Important Checkpoints in a Fire Drill Checklist?

As you carry out fire drills, remember that it’s important to take your time to sit through every single step and check each route to make sure that everything is in order. There’s no room for mistakes when it comes to safety because one misstep can cost a life.

1. EVACUATION AND EMERGENCY ROUTES

• Marking of emergency and rescue routes
• Accessibility of emergency exit doors
• Transparency of flight path plans
• Review of assembly point sign

2. ALARM ROUTES

• Check sirens
• Check the emergency numbers

3. EVACUATION AREAS AND BUILDINGS

• Access points to the building
• Building plans with basement and floor details
• Water supply and hydrants
• Smoke and heat vents

4. EVACUATION

• Control of assembly points and signage
• Check evacuation signals
• Keep traffic routes clear for the fire brigade
• Clearly defined duties of fire safety assistants

Benefits of a Digital Solution for Fire Drill Templates

Lumiform is a digital application for inspections and audits. With a digital app, you can easily plan and conduct regular fire drills via tablet or smartphone - online or offline. With the desktop version, you can create checklists or download one from our extensive template library.

You won't forget a single step of the fire drill thanks to a digital checklist. The app guides you through the exam without missing any important points. All collected data is securely stored in the cloud. Clean and transparent documentation helps you to carry out the fire drill properly.

• The flexible checklist builder from Lumiform helps you to convert any individual paper list into a digital fire evacuation checklist without much effort.
• In addition, we offer ready-made templates to help companies get started digitally in no time.
• Perform pre-drill inspections with the super intuitive mobile app in the field with ease.
• Attach or capture photos of potential hazards with detailed descriptions immediately to the digital checklist.
• Keep your fire drill templates and assessment records secure in the cloud.
• All results, images and comments are automatically bundled in a digital report and can be shared immediately.