When a fire breaks out, people must be able to leave the building quickly and safely, by a route they can rely on. Good evacuation arrangements turn a fire into an incident, rather than a tragedy.

Evacuation does not happen by chance. It depends on the right strategy, escape routes that are always usable, fire doors that hold back smoke, clear signs, and lighting that works even when the power fails.

This module explains each of these in turn.

This module covers the physical measures that get everyone out of a building safely. You will learn about:

• Evacuation strategies.
• Escape routes.
• Fire doors.
• Fire safety signs.
• Emergency lighting.

The evacuation strategy is the overall plan for getting people out. The right one depends on the size, layout and use of the premises, and is decided through the fire risk assessment.

• Simultaneous evacuation: everyone leaves at once when the alarm sounds. This is the usual strategy for offices, shops and most workplaces.
• Phased evacuation: in large or tall buildings, the area at greatest risk leaves first, followed by other areas in turn, so that escape routes do not become overcrowded.

Two other strategies are used in particular types of building:

• Progressive horizontal evacuation, used in hospitals and care homes. People are moved through a fire door into the next fire compartment on the same floor, away from the fire.
• Stay put, or defend in place, used in some purpose-built blocks of flats with strong compartmentation. Residents not directly affected may be safer staying in their flat, unless they are told to leave.

Whatever the strategy, everyone must understand it, and it must be tested by fire drills.

An escape route is the path from anywhere in the building to a place of total safety outside. Escape routes must:

• Keep travel distances short enough to escape before conditions become dangerous, and shorter still where there is only one direction of escape.
• Offer a choice of routes wherever possible, so that one fire cannot trap people.
• Be wide enough for the number of people using them.
• Be kept clear at all times, with final exit doors that open easily in the direction of escape, without a key.
• Lead to a safe assembly point, away from the building, and clear of fire service access.

Fire doors are a critical part of a building’s fire protection. A fire door is designed to hold back fire and smoke for a defined period, commonly 30 or 60 minutes, known as FD30 and FD60 doors. This protects escape routes and compartments, and gives people time to get out.

To do its job, a fire door must have a self-closing device that closes it fully into its frame. Intumescent strips, which expand in heat, and smoke seals around the edges hold back fire and smoke. The gaps must be correct, the hinges and hardware sound, and any glass fire-rated.

A fire door only protects people when it is closed.

• Never wedge or prop a fire door open. An open fire door cannot hold back fire and smoke, so it offers no protection at all.
• Where a door needs to stay open, fit an approved automatic hold-open device, which releases the door when the alarm sounds.
• Display the right signs, such as ‘Fire door keep shut’.
• Inspect fire doors regularly, and repair any damage promptly.

A damaged or wedged fire door can let smoke fill an escape route in minutes.

Fire safety signs guide people to safety, and show where to find equipment. They use standard shapes and colours, so they are understood instantly:

• Green rectangular or square signs are safe condition signs. They show escape routes, fire exits and assembly points, using the running man symbol.
• Red signs show the location of fire fighting equipment, such as extinguishers and call points.
• Blue circular signs give mandatory instructions, such as ‘Fire door keep shut’. Red circles with a diagonal bar show prohibitions, such as no smoking, and yellow triangles warn of hazards.

In the UK, safety signs must meet the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996.

Signs must be clearly visible, well lit, and never obscured. Many are photoluminescent, so they remain visible if the power fails and the lights go out.

Fire action notices should be displayed by call points and exits. They tell people exactly what to do if they discover a fire or hear the alarm: how to raise the alarm, how to call the fire service, which way to go, and where to assemble.

Check signs as part of your routine fire safety checks, and replace any that are damaged, faded or missing.

If a fire cuts the power, normal lighting fails, often leaving escape routes dark and filled with smoke. Emergency lighting comes on automatically, so people can still find their way out.

It lights escape routes, exits, and the location of fire fighting equipment and call points. It includes illuminated exit signs, as well as lighting along the route itself.

Maintained emergency lights are on all the time. Non-maintained lights come on only when the normal supply fails. Both run from a battery or backup supply for a set time, typically up to three hours.

Emergency lighting must be tested regularly, so that you know it will work:

• Every month: a short function test, cutting the normal supply to check that every light comes on.
• Every year: a full-duration test, checking that the lights stay on for their full rated time.
• Faults must be reported and put right promptly.

Record every test in the fire safety logbook. The British Standard for emergency lighting is BS 5266.