1. Evaluate your Security Systems

The first step in creating an evacuation plan is identifying potential hazards affecting your business. These hazards may include fires, natural disasters, or other threats to your location or industry. Additionally, employees and customers should have at least two different ways to leave the building.

2. Develop an Evacuation Route

Once you have identified potential hazards, you must develop an evacuation route for your employees and customers. This route should be clearly marked, easy to follow, and lead to a safe location away from the hazard.

3. Assign Evacuation Responsibilities

Next, you need to assign evacuation responsibilities to specific employees. These individuals will be responsible for ensuring that everyone evacuates safely and efficiently. There must be an assigned gathering location, a person(s) assigned to ensure all employees get out safe, and a person(s) assigned to take a role call for employees.

4. Train Your Employees

Once you have developed an evacuation plan and assigned responsibilities, you need to train your employees on the plan. This training should include information on evacuation routes, gathering locations, procedures, and responsibilities. Formal training should be done for all employees at least annually after that.

5. Conduct Drills

Conduct evacuation drills twice yearly using primary and alternative routes to familiarize your employees with the evacuation plan and procedures. This will help ensure that everyone knows what to do in an emergency.

6. Review and Update Your Plans

Your evacuation plan should be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure that it is current and accurate. This is especially important after any changes to your business or the surrounding environment.

7. Communicate Your Plan

Once your evacuation plan is in place, you must communicate it to your employees and customers. You can do this through email, posters, or other means. It's also important to post the evacuation plan in a visible location in your business. Signage with directions should be posted throughout the facility and exits should be adequately marked with emergency lighting.

8. Be Prepared

It's important to be prepared in an emergency, which means having emergency supplies such as first aid kits, fire extinguishers, and flashlights. A communication plan to stay in touch with your employees and customers during an emergency is also important.

Following these steps, you can create an evacuation plan to help keep your employees and customers safe in an emergency. At CertaSite, we’re here to simplify the process by walking you through it step-by-step. From selecting a system and the actual installation to keeping up on maintenance and making sure you’re always protected, we are here to help. We can also provide onsite training on fire extinguishers, how to check emergency and exit lights, and more.

Get started today by booking a consultation at CertaSitePro.com.