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Posted By Barry J
Does anyone know if there is legal requirements relating to the frequency for performing escape drills?
Thanks,
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Posted By Colin Reeves
Depends upon your industry. Some the answer certainly is yes.
As an example see SI 1999 No 2722 Regulation 8(2) - probably others in different industries.
Colin
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Posted By pluto
Barry,
Colin has identified a very precise type of escape drill, i.e. on board shipping.
In 99% of case the frequency is for you to decide following a fire risk assessment. The Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 revoked nearly all other industry or organisation specific requirements.
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Posted By Mike Nixon
Although there are no specific frequencies quoted in RRFSO the fire authorities expect a minimum of 1 per year.
This would increase in more hazardous circumstances or if problems arise on an evacuation.
Your risk assessment should identify what is sufficient for your needs.
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Posted By GeoffB4
Mike, could you reference the once a year expectation please.
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Posted By Mike Nixon
Geoff
Sorry there are no direct references, just experience of interaction with several fire officers (different authorities) in respect of some of my clients.
It is possible that if challenged they will consider changes particularly if you can justify it in a risk assessment.
In general I feel it is good practice to have at least one drill per year.
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Posted By M. Thompson
Barry
Could I suggest that you run a completely unexpected fire drill, and use this as an assessment of your requirements! - this should highlight any inadequacies. Another factor is your companies manpower turnover, and their specific requirements / hazards.
Mike
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Posted By Glyn Atkinson
This is not a legal answer, but perhaps a practical way of finding out in your industry base.
Ask your public liability insurers what they are expecting from you in way of drill frequency in order that you do not breach their conditions for your policy.
We have to complete two documented fire evacuation drills per year, mainly due to turnover of staff on the shop floor - our industry is notorious for people swapping between jobs on piece rates for an extra £1 per hour on short term work.
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Posted By GeoffB4
Thanks Mike.
The reason I asked is because where there are no more than one or two persons on the site we see no reason why a fire evacuation is necessary. Obviously if it was a legal requirement we would have to implement it.
A couple of years ago one contributor to this forum insisted that legally, evacuations had to be carried out at least twice a year - so there can be some misleading statements put about.
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Posted By CFT
Yes Geoff, I remember the thread, and I was wrong to state it was a legal requirement.I was suitably corrected at that time.
CFT
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Posted By GeoffB4
Wasn't meant to be a dig CFT, just a comment that we should not take all comments as being gospel. I got myself tangled up the other day about asbestos surveys - so it happens to the best of us!!!
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Posted By water67.
Hi, the old fire certificate indicated 2 per year for offices. Seems as ever we get hung up on the "legal" requirements or not. Remember legal requirements are a minimum for anything they ask. Surely in excess 40 years since the main act reforming H&S at work. we should be looking at better then the min. Also remember that all fire safety or at least most of it outside the higher risk industries is primarily, if not exclusively based on risk assessment. As someone has said try an evacuation, evaluate it afterwords and look see if it actually works satisfactorily. if not; adjust, train, inform, supervise etc. until you get it correct and then decide how often you need to do it to keep it that way.
Cheers.
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Posted By shaun mckeever
The basis of the 'legal' requirement is found in section 15(1)(a) of the RRO. It does not give a frequency, this is down to the risk assessment. Schools, for example, will run a drill once per term. Offices are usually expected to run a drill twice per year to account for those who are absent for the first drill. Places that have a high turnover of staff e.g. shops will be expected to run them more frequently. To give effect to emergency procedures in reality means testing the procedures to ensure they are effective. It does not matter how many staff you employ.
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Posted By Geoff Armstrong
Don't forget to practice all shifts and have a drill when just the cleaners are in if this applies. Better still, hold a drill on shift changeover as people are clocking in and out - absolute chaos but it really tests the system!
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