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Posted By srd
Is it a requirement to carry out a head count on evacuation of an office / factory premises on the sounding of a fire alarm - or it it acceptable just to do a floor check to see that noone is remaining in the building?
I ask because our fairly large premises have exits onto three different streets, and there is a lot of movement around the building by staff during the normal course of their duties, so assuming everyone leaves by the nearest exit on hearing the fire alarm sound, the members of staff from different departments could end up in different areas.
Also the fact that we are a six day a week operation means that on any given day there are different people off on rota days off, meaning the various managers need to remember to grab a days off list as they exit the building.
Stephen.
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Posted By David P Johnson
I would always do a head count. If there are three exits, you need to arrange a designated evacuation assembly point where everyone meets.
You could always purchase a signing in book that everybody on site completes - staff, visitors and contractors, and have a nmed person on each shift responsible for collecting it and doing the head count?
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Posted By Jack
Yes, a floor sweep is acceptable provided it's properly planned and implemented. In many situations it's the only viable option.
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Posted By Merv Newman
Head counts rarely, if ever, work. There are too many variables like : who's in ? who's out ? who is supposed to be in but was signed in by a friend, who is in but forgot to sign in ?
I did twice yearly exercises for about 16 years and rarely came up with the right numbers. Even with an electronic swipe card system to open the gate in both directions.
This said, it is best to do it. Even if it is just gives management something "usefull" to do in the first few minutes.
But then organise the best possible floor-sweep system you can possibly come up with, including deputies/replacements for those sweeps who are supposed to be in but are actually out. Areas and responsibilities should be arranged so that sweeps are out of the building no more than one or two minutes after their colleagues. They report to a pre-designated position (not necessarily to a named person who may be out when everyone thought they were in or vice-versa) where someone will be waiting for their reports.
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Posted By Simone Granger
> 'You could always purchase a signing in book that everybody on site completes - staff, visitors and contractors, and have a nmed person on each shift responsible for collecting it and doing the head count?'
I don't think you've thought this through David. In just one of our buildings there are 2500 staff (and quite a few visitors - who are checked in and out) many of whom spend much of the time out of the office. A sweep system makes sense.
And management have plenty to do receiving reports from the floor marshals that their area is clear.
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Posted By Messy
Head counts only work if there is a strict booking in AND booking out procedure.
In my experience it's rare to find anywhere where a watertight booking in system is in place.
EG- A contractor books in and then needs to visit his van on numerous occasions during his work. If the booking in system 'ignores' him when he goes to his van, then the whole system is a waste of time. Similarly, I have seem many MDs and Hospital consultants walk past the booking in book. Arrogance don't help you breathe in smoke!
Better no system at all than a faulty booking in system.
Properly trained staff conducting floor sweeps are more reliable and 'maintainence' free
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Posted By Richard Mathews
I would never rely just on a head count, do the head count anyway, but back it up with a floor sweep as starting at the top and working down (in multi-floor buildings).
Richard
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Posted By MichaelM
Floor Sweep by designated Fire Marshalls/Wardens with a deputy back up system is the only practical and cheap system for large areas with many people, that I am aware of. In my workplace the building will then be checked by the fire brigade. If there are refuge areas for disabled employees then this will also be checked.
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Posted By Robin B
We use a "Buddy system" with 2, 3 or 4 people in each team. They have fixed assembly points and as they tend to be working beside/near their buddies they know when they are absent. We also do a rapid sweep of the buildings.
Robin
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Posted By Ian Clarke
Roll call/head count is an out-dated method of ensuring that the building/premise is clear, unless it is a higher risk site or a very small premise.
These are slow, requires a lot more management time and prone to human error. A sweep search system is quick and if properly managed ensures that the building is completely clear, as this is what the Fire Brigade want to know. The quicker the Fire Brigade get this information the better, as they don't want to be waiting around for a roll call to finish beforegetting the necessary information from you.
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Posted By Jason McQueen
The main problem with a sweep system has to be that it involves reentry into a building which is potentially on fire. Unless you have specifically trained fire fighting staff on site (e.g. petro-chem siteks) this seems a very dangerous thing to do. You are in effect asking someone to reenter the building to look for someone who may or may not actually be there and so putting themselves at risk of harm.
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Posted By Richard Chalkley
Jason,
You are not asking employees to re-enter - our training specifically states that they must check their area IF SAFE TO DO SO.
They are trained to look for the evidence of fire behind a door before opening it etc. Our local fire authority did the training which was well priced and comprehensive.
Richard.
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Posted By Merv Newman
Agree with previouse respondant - you dont send people back. They follow their colleagues, making a carefull, rapid check of odd corners - toilets, coffee areas, stationary cupboards (people can get quite carried away in stationary cupboards) etc. they should be out within one or two minutes of the people they follow.
I always held a "post mortem" after the event - some of the sweeps/observers/managers". What did we get right, what could we do better next time ? Coffee and biscuits provided by management. We always found a way to do better next time.
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Posted By srd
Thanks everyone. It had stuck in my mind that I had read somewhere that a head count (or was it a role call?) should be done, but I couldn't recall if it was a requirement, an ACOP or a suggestion.
Stephen.
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