Fire evacuation – take responsibility!

20 Oct 2014

The annual evacuation practices for 2014 will begin on 1 October – how prepared are you?

Do you know that on average 45 real fires occur each year on campus?

The number one cause is cooking left unattended. Fires have been caused by staff members leaving porridge in a microwave for more than ten minutes and sausage rolls for more than five minutes! These have resulted in full building evacuations. Other fires that occur in academic buildings are due to the use of flammable materials in labs and during hot work processes.

• Keep an eye on what you are heating or cooking.

Do you know that studies have shown that people who survive fires and disasters are more likely to have located and practised using their emergency evacuation routes beforehand?

If you locate and use your emergency routes in a non-emergency situation, you are more likely to react quickly during a serious incident and less likely to waste time thinking about where to go and what to do.

• Go and find your nearest emergency evacuation route; it may not be the entrance that you usually use.

Do you know the main reason people do not react to the fire alarm?

Studies have shown that delay in evacuation is due to people waiting for someone else to take the lead and leave the building.

• Always react to the sound of a fire alarm and do not wait for a Fire Evacuation Marshall to ask you to leave.
• If you are in charge of a group of people, take the lead and leave.