SANS 10400; SANS 1475 part 1 and SANS 10105 all regulate the national requirements for Fire Safety. This is complimented by by-laws from local authorities.

 

Read with the OHS Act, the onus of providing a safe environment for all persons on your site is an unavoidable requirement. This include the need for Emergency Planning, Evacuation Planning and regular Emergency Evacuation excercises.

 

Evacuation drills should be tested once every 3 months, but no less than once every 6 months. This should be done in line with your evacuation policy, and the plan used should be site specific, taking into account the number of persons at any given time, specials needs like geriatric persons, people with physical disabilities like bad eyesight, hearing-loss,etc. All of which has to be part of the system.

When measured against the ever present legal requirement of doing all things reasonably possible, then every evacuation plan, every policy every process has to be unique. It has to be designed specifically for your business, your premises and your risks.

not complying to this has often lead to criminal prosecutions in the past. Make sure your plan comply to local and national requirements.