7 Tips for Emergency Evacuation Safety

Power plants, steel forges, paper mills, and aluminum manufacturing facilities all have one thing in common: an accident may just be a split second away. Fires, explosions, chemical leaks, and the like are all too common hazards in these industries. As workers are often in a location that is isolated or some distance from an easy exit, a well-established exit plan must always be in place to ensure emergency evacuation safety.

Finding the Exit Sign

An emergency exit plan should always be in place. Draw up a safety strategy for each location where work may take place. Review and discuss the emergency evacuation plan with the personnel working in those locations. This means that both floor personnel and office staff should have an exit strategy safety plan in place.

Being prepared before an of the aforementioned hazards, and being ready if an evacuation is required, is the most important thing to ensuring that the personnel is safe. A mass scramble for the exit is not a plan. Especially when working on a rooftop or higher floor and the building is burning beneath your feet.

State and federal law require exit signs and evacuation maps. Many bring this in as part of fire assessment planning, as choosing to review evacuation maps before anything happens is vital. The last thing you want to do when worrying about a life-threatening hazard is having to read a map or look up information. Fires and other emergencies will require Emergency Evacuation Safety. At this time workers must leave their work areas and leave the building. It is especially important that they can do so quickly and safely.

Below is a list of unsafe conditions that we need to be on the watch for every day. These hazards, if allowed to exist, can be the difference between a quick escape . . . and disaster!

7 Emergency Evacuation Safety Tips

1. Make certain that designated emergency exit doors always remain unlocked from the inside while the building or structure is occupied.
2. Report any broken doors, doorknobs, or jambs. Replace or repair any malfunctioning equipment. Regular inspections are the key.
3. Never place or store any equipment, materials, or other obstructions in front of an exit door, nor within any aisle or other pathway designated for escape during an emergency. Blocking an exit door or path from the outside can prevent people from being able to get out of, and away from, the building during an emergency.
4. Do not place curtains, signs, decorations, or similar obstructions over emergency exit doors or across designated emergency aisle-ways, as these items can make exits difficult to locate during an emergency.
5. Avoid placing containers of flammable liquids or other highly combustible materials under or alongside stairways, ramps, and other pathways. These paths may need to be used for emergency egress, and those materials will make access difficult or impossible.
6. If you think someone might mistake any doors for an emergency exit, tell your supervisor. Install signs stating their intended purpose (like “Closet”) or marked “Not an Exit” to avoid confusion. Finally, report any unlit emergency exit signs or broken emergency lighting fixtures.
7. Finally, please let your supervisor know if designated emergency exits are unclear in your work area. Emergency exits only work if you know where they are.

In conclusion, nothing is more important than Emergency Evacuation Safety. For more industrial workplace safety tips, visit our blog. Feel free to contact us today to see how Moffitt, and our safety record, can be put to good use during your next installation.