We are increasing the numbers of staff on our complex. The area we use for the assemble location is now to small for possible 1200 people.

Their is not any suitable other locations for staff to meet.

We use Evacuation Officers to check all areas,floors and then report to a reporting officer. When the Fire Officer arrives this is given confirming the situation.

Question.
Has anyone had this problem with the assemble point? What other ideas for communicating with staff?
L.N.

I happened to drive past a large Post Office Depot yesterday and was taken by the big bold signs fixed 6ft high to the outside of the perimiter wall - office 1 staff; office 2 staff; parcels; letters North; letters south; maintenance staff; canteen staff; cleaners etc. Not the exact labelling but you get the idea.

I was very impressed that it gave some sort of order to allow rapid roll calls or checking against records etc. Certainly far better that the organised rabble I've experienecd before in hospitals and Universities where the rule of thumb was smokers one end and everyone else at the other, fight for somewhere out of the wind and rain, or wander about until you bump into your friends. And of course, loiter close to the exit doors to be first in the lift on the way back

I will add a slightly different alternative that is used at a large and well known employer in this region who occupy multiple city centre sites. In the event of a fire alarm their staff are asked to leave the building and leave the rea for 15-20 minutes. There are designated fire wardens on each floor who sweep their floor and then report to the person in control outside.

Do U hear sharp intakes of breath?

They have used this method for many years with the knowledge and I assume the 'consent' of the fire brigade, and their reasoning is pretty simple. The pavements adjacent to the offices simply could not cope with the number of people emerging from the offices and this would mean people spilling onto the road and would also make access for the fire brigade very difficult.

I understand that as soon as 'Marks and Sparks' hear about the fire alarm that they put extra people on the tills!

Where I work (A rather famous art gallery somewhere in London) we have a Fire Marshal responsible for clearing each department, who report to one of two Senior Fire Marshals outside the building, one in each muster point. The two Senior Marshals then communicate the information to the Internal security team and the H&S Officer (Me), that their building is clear and only the head of the Internal Security and I liaise with the Fire Brigade.

The Internal Security are the last to leave the building as they are the ones who investigate first alert on the alarm panel and clear the public areas (the public being somewhat slower than staff in deciding to leave)

At all times Internal Security and Myself are contactable by radio so we can inform other senior members of staff in our locations of the current state of play.

We also have secondary muster points some way from the premises in case we need to evacuate all staff and visitors not just from the premises but also from the adjacent area (as has happened in the last 3 and 1/2 years).