Free HSE tool · Planning & Permits
Emergency Action Plan
The emergency action plan is the document the site works from when the alarm sounds — the assembly, the routes, the roles, the contacts, and the drill record that proves the plan is the plan and not the theory. It is the fire services first question after the incident (where is your plan?), the insurers first document, and the ISO 45001 clause 8.2 (the emergency preparedness and response) evidence.
Free Emergency Action Plan + Drill Log
The assembly, the routes, the roles with the backups, the contacts — and the drill log that proves the plan is the plan.
Roles (the backup is part of the role)
| Role | Name | Phone | Backup |
|---|
Emergency contacts
Drill log (the clear time is the number)
| Date | Type | Start | Clear time | Issues | Action |
|---|
Build the plan below: the premises, the assembly points, the routes, the roles with the names and the backups, the emergency contacts, and the drill log — the date, the type, the start, the clear time, the issues, the review. Print the plan as the posted document, and the drill log as the record that the plan is drilled.
How to use the tool
- Set the premises, the site and the plan owner — the plan header
- Define the assembly points — the primary and the secondary, the headcount point, the muster
- Map the routes — the primary and the alternative per floor or area, the blocked-route rule
- Assign the roles — the warden per area, the first aider, the alarm, the contacts: the name, the phone, the backup
- Run and log the drill — the type, the start, the clear time, the issues, the action: the drill log is the evidence the plan is the plan — then print the posted plan and the log
Worked example
A two-floor office, 30 staff. Assembly — the primary the car park north (the headcount at the gate), the secondary the footpath east (the blocked car park rule). Routes — the floor 1 the main stair, the alternative the service stair; the floor 2 the main stair (the single-stair building, so the alternative is the main with the warden holding the door). Roles — the warden floor 1 the office manager (the backup the admin lead), the warden floor 2 the technical lead (the backup the junior), the first aider the trained one (the 3-day current), the alarm the security desk, the contact the landlords 24-hour. The drill log: the Q1 full evacuation, the 09:12 start, the 4-minute-10 clear against the 5-minute target, the issue the floor 2 warden not posted (the rota fixed), the review the manager. The plan is posted at the two stairs and the security desk; the log is the document the fire service and the insurer ask for, and the clear-time trend is the one that shows the plan is getting faster.
Standard & legal context
The UK Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 require the emergency plan — the evacuation, the assembly, the warden system, the drill. ISO 45001 clause 8.2 requires the emergency preparedness and response plan, including the drill, and the review after the drill or the incident. The US pair is the OSHA 1910.38 (the emergency action plan, the explicit standard with the evacuation and the account) and the NFPA 101. The plan below is the UK/ISO structure with the OSHA 1910.38 columns — the same plan, three frameworks.
Common mistakes
- The plan written and not drilled — the drill is the plan; the undrilled plan is the theory, and the 4-minute clear on the drill day is the number that holds on the real day
- No backup for the roles — the warden on holiday is the warden gone; the backup is the role, and the rota is the document
- The assembly as a habit, not a headcount — the assembly is the count, and the missing person is the search that starts at the count, not at the guess
- No review after the drill — the drills issues are the plans updates; the log without the action is the log that is decoration
Need the sign-off, not just the tool?
The tool is the preparation; the sign-off is the professional. For the statutory assessments, the audits, the ISO 45001 implementation and the training that comes with them, ask Muhammad Umer — 8+ years across Iraq, KSA and Pakistan, and the programme runs through umer-hse.pro. One message gets the written scope.
Common questions
Emergency Action Plan — answered
What is an emergency action plan?
The document the site works from in the emergency: the evacuation routes, the assembly points, the roles (the warden, the first aider, the alarm), the contacts, and the drill record. ISO 45001 clause 8.2 and the OSHA 1910.38 require it; the fire service and the insurer expect it.
How often should evacuation drills be done?
At least twice a year is the common practice (the UK fire guidance suggests regular, the risk sets the frequency); the high-risk site monthly or quarterly. The trigger is the change — the new staff, the new layout, the new shift — and the drill after the trigger is the one that tests the change.
What is the clear time?
The time from the alarm to the last person at the assembly and counted — the drills number, against the target. The trend of the clear time is the leading indicator of the evacuations readiness, and the drill log is where it is recorded.
Who is the emergency warden?
The appointed person per area whose duty is the sweep (the room, the toilet, the plant room), the route (the directing, the blocked-route call), and the count (the headcount at the assembly). The warden is trained, the backup is named, and the rota is posted.
Does ISO 45001 require the emergency plan?
Yes — clause 8.2 (the emergency preparedness and response) requires the plan, the drill at planned intervals, the review after the drill or the actual emergency, and the learning into the plan. The plan on this page is the clause 8.2 evidence structure.
Can I print the plan and the drill log?
Yes — the Print button produces the posted plan (the header, the assembly, the routes, the roles, the contacts) and the drill log (the rows with the date, the type, the clear time, the issues, the action) as a PDF. The plan is posted at the stairs and the control point; the log is the record the auditor and the fire service work from.
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THE HEALTH AND SAFETY is an education and knowledge network. The tools are free and open; the professional assessments and audits run through umer-hse.pro.
Safety disclaimer
These tools are practical guidance, built to the UK baseline with the US equivalents named on each page. They do not replace a competent person assessment for high-risk work, a statutory assessment, or the advice of your insurer. Where a document has legal force — the fire risk assessment, the COSHH register, the permit to work — the responsible person owns it. Use the tool as the preparation, and the competent person as the sign-off.