5 important things to remember during a fire drill

Taking part in fire drills can seem like a trivial task. So why do we do them?

People react differently in the event of a fire. Some people will panic which could lead to them rushing to evacuate the premises and others might freeze in fear. Some people will only react when they are being directly affected by the fires, smoke or heat. Some people will go looking for the fire and adopt a hero mentality.

The benefit of carrying out regular fire drills is so that everyone knows what to do when an emergency evacuation is required.

The role of the fire marshals in an evacuation is vital and your attention and cooperation is important.

Here are 5 things you can do to demonstrate your full cooperation when participating in emergency evacuations:

• Leave your drink behind. It is very common for people to reach for the tea or coffee they have just made or purchased. However this could lead to spillages and slips on the means of escape. A slip on the means of escape could lead to blockages on the emergency stairwells which will delay other people from evacuating the premises. It also creates another obstacle for the fire and rescue service to overcome instead of attacking the fire.

• End your phone call. It is understandable that when the alarm sounds, you may be on an important phone call. If you continue the call on your mobile you are not listening for any important instructions. You may also speak over important instructions causing your colleagues to miss information from the fire marshals. You should politely inform the person you are speaking to on the phone that the fire alarm is sounding and that you will call them back when it's safe to do so. After all, in a real emergency your safety is the number 1 priority.

• Everyone's full participation is required. From the head of the company to the newest employee. If you are told in advance that there is going to be a fire drill at a specific time, don't sneak away early to get out of it. Also, don't announce it to everyone. The purpose of the drill is to gather information on how people react. If they know it's a drill, they won't take it seriously. Which could lead to a panic event or a real emergency.

• Don't panic! At the end of the day this is a practice drill, and practice makes perfect. The more drills that you participate in the more confident you will be in the event of a real emergency. The better prepared you are, will allow for the fire marshals to concentrate on other aspects of their duties in evacuating a premises. Listen to instructions and take one step at a time.

• Go to your assembly point. An evacuation drill is not an excuse to grab a coffee or pop to the shop once you are clear of the building. You must head to the assembly point and make your presence known that you have successfully evacuated. If this is not known, time might be wasted on site trying to locate you within the building putting lives at risk.

Should you require any health safety and fire training, please visit www.greenoaksafety.com/online-learning