Fire evacuation drill
Run a practice evacuation with whoever is on shift — sound the alarm, walk the escape routes, use the assembly point, and time how long it actually takes to clear the building.
Run a practice evacuation with whoever is on shift — sound the alarm, walk the escape routes, use the assembly point, and time how long it actually takes to clear the building. Log what went wrong: a blocked exit, a fire door propped open, staff who did not know the assembly point.
A fire risk assessment on paper means nothing if nobody has actually practised getting out. Drills are how you find the blocked fire exit or the new starter who has never been shown the way out, before a real fire finds it for you.
Log the date, who took part, the time to clear the building, and any issues found.
Who this is for
Every venue — the duty to have a practised means of escape applies regardless of size.
What you’ll hold
- Signed fire drill record with evacuation time and issues found
Watch out for
- Only ever drilling with the same experienced shift — new and part-time staff who never get included are the ones most likely to freeze in a real evacuation.
- Announcing the drill so far in advance that it stops testing anything real.
- Running the drill but not writing anything down. An unlogged drill is indistinguishable from no drill at all if you are ever asked to prove it.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Fire safety law and guidance for business checked 2026-09-02
See also
- Write the evacuation plan and brief the team— this becomes part of getting open →
- Fire risk assessment review
- Fire marshal refresher training
This is item 18 of 60 in the free UK Compliance Calendar. See the whole list →