The Importance of Fire Drills
 

Fire drills allow employees to practice exiting the workplace in the event of an emergency. A practiced exit plan will allow everyone to respond quickly, calmly, and safely in the event of a real emergency. Periodic fire drills may also be necessary as a part of your insurance coverage. Fire Drill Objectives The main objective of your fire drill should be to get everyone out efficiently and safely in the event of an emergency but, as a part of that, your objectives should include: - Giving employees an opportunity to practice emergency procedures in a simulated environment - Assessing whether employees can carry out assigned emergency duties - Understanding whether the evacuation procedures were effective - Considering any changes or adjustments to improve performance - Complying with any fire code or insurance requirements Fire Drill Frequency How often you hold fire drills should be determined by your local fire code and your workplace fire hazards. If your workplace presents serious fire hazards (eg. flammable materials) or complex exit procedures, fire drills should be conducted more frequently. For these types of workplaces, fire drills scheduled every three months may be appropriate, whereas other workplaces may only need drills every six months.

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