Rank: Super forum user 
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We are about to film a fire drill in house.. medical premises and use the footage as a training tool for staff and were wondering if anybody had any experience of this and what should be included.
We were considering setting up a smoke machine in a cupboard and seeing how staff react when the lead staff member tells them to evacuate the area due to fire, and one of the exits is blocked off. The alarm will be working but the link to the fire brigade will be isolated off. Any more ideas would be most welcome.
We only intend telling lead staff of the practice drill
Any more ideas would be most welcome.
SBH
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Rank: Super forum user
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I'm sorry, but you're going fill the place with smoke and not tell the staff it's fake????
I'm speechless.
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Rank: Forum user 
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I attended a FRA course run by the Essex Fire Service a couple of years ago and they informed me that it was an important element of staff training to inform all staff that a drill was going to be carried out.
It may also help to protect the firm from a claim in the event of someone being injured whilst evacuating the building.......
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Rank: Super forum user
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Clairel
No we dont intend to fill the place with smoke, we intend to have a small amoumt coming from a cupboard area. I take on board that telling all staff would be best.
SBH
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Rank: Super forum user
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My view is that there are plenty of good fire training videos out there that will provide better training and have been well thought out.
i think having fire drills well you tell people one exit is blocked and they have to find another route if fair enough. But i would not use any form of smoke.
if you go to youtube there was a series called seconds from disaster which shows human behaviour when faced with smoke in experiments they carried out in New York which is very enlightening as to what people do. also another is thresher fire video clip which is taken from a security tape after some kids deliberately start a fire and everything goes wrong from then on would including young mother and kids stood in the doorway watching the fire, one guy nicking bottles of booze why the shop burns down around him and basically not one person evacuated the shop.
i use this as part of my fire training and always goes down well as a discussion point. i would leave the videoing to those that know what they are doing when it comes to fire safety and just ensure everyone knows what they should do when it comes down to the fire procedure for your site.
Phil
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Rank: Guest
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It just goes to show that relying on fire brigade advice is not always best. Why would Essex FRS say it is an essential element to inform staff of a fire drill. That is nonsense! Does a fire give forewarning before it ignites?
The idea that someone might injure themselves is a red herring. Some while ago this question raised it's head at a training session I was delivering. The questioner was adamant that someone sued as a result of injuring themselves after taking part in an unannounced fire drill at her place of work. I followed this up and approached Professor Rosemary Everton who is a professor of fire safety law. After doing her own research she came back to me and said she was not aware of any such prosecution.
The purpose of a fire drill is to test the emergency procedures including how people respond if they discover a fire. I have often initiated a drill by approaching a member of staff, saying to them 'you have discovered a fire, please take the appropriate action as you have been instructed'. Everybody knows what to do if they hear the fire alarm but put people on the spot an tell them they have discovered a fire then that's a different story. You may be surprised at how some people will react or how little they know.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Shaun,
My concern was not that they weren't telling people about the fire evac but about pumping out smoke which would freak some people out and possibly even cause a hazard in itself.
Realistic maybe but an unecessary additional risk IMO.
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Rank: Guest
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Hi Claire. I think you have valid concerns, my response was more addressed to what DHM had written.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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When it comes to the issue of do we or don't we inform the staff, there's not really a wrong method. However, I prefer the 'inform them before method'. I agree with Shaun that this has nothing to do with litigation, but more to do with education:
My rationale of informing before is that if you tell everyone and state clearly that the person conducting the drill will be asking random staff members questions about the emergency plan, it is likely that a considerable number of the staff will ask or research what their responsibilities are prior to the event. After all, nobody wants to look a fool in front of their peers.
As a result, in addition the physical evacuation associate with a fire drill, many staff members would now be more familiar with the procedure than they were as they re read the EP.
The alternative of a surprise evacuation may lead to one or two people making a mistake and subsequently learning something after being 'educated'. The rest of the workforce will learn nothing except, perhaps feeding their contempt about 'elf & safety' interrupting an important phone call, tea break or trip to the loo!!
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Unannounced fire drills are fine to reinforce training, but that is as long as the training has been given to a proper standard.
If no training then you are just asking for a disastrous result.
Start by instructing, then practising then have your spontaneous drill.
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Rank: Forum user
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Hi,
I would agree wholeheartedly with Clairel re use of imitation smoke, if staff aren't aware of it you run the risk of injury if a panic ensues as it probably will with some people. I was involved in a coach fire drill where the vehicle was filled with smoke with us all belted up, even sitting there for a very short time with full knowledge was very disconcerting.
Regards
Steve
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Rank: Super forum user
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If you look at the guide to fire risk assessment it suggests not to have surprise drills as the risks may outweigh the benefits.
There is definitely no mention of using smoke to simulate a fire.
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Rank: Forum user
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I am experienced in fire drills with the use of smoke generators. You need to bear in mind that these give off a significant amount of heat and smoke. Your team needs to be very swept up on their roles and responsibilities prior. Once the team have been developed, they need to know that a drill will take place with the use of smoke. They need to recognise the smell of generator smoke, give them a taster in the car park. It will enable them to differentiate the difference between real and generated smoke. The drill needs to very closely monitored with adequate trained staff. Imagine your backside in a sling when someone panics and discharges an extinguisher onto live electrical equipment, or someone keels over with a dodgy ticker. Finally you need to have a back up should a real fire or real time emergency occur. I hope this is of help.
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Rank: Forum user 
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When we undertake Fire Drills I usually give my local Fire Station/Control Room a quick call to say we are performing a fire drill and that for the next 10 minutes if they receive any calls for a fire to our site they are to call me to confirm before sending appliances to prevent wasting their time from a call from a member of staff who forgets its not there job to call the fire service.
I also give them a quick call again after just to say that we have finished and usual procedures apply.
If your going to use smoke then panic could increase the chance of a member of staff making a 999 call especially if they see the person who should make the call not on the phone.
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