In the event of a fire at a property, a fire “all-out” policy is a fire evacuation strategy which requires all people within a building to evacuate immediately and simultaneously following the activation of a fire alarm. The most common form of evacuation policy for small buildings, businesses, schools and apartments, an all-out policy is usually the best option for small buildings for several reasons.
Small buildings are typically easy to evacuate than larger buildings for obvious reasons. Secondly, there is a greater risk of fire spreading in a small structure and a larger structure, illustrating the importance of evacuating all occupants quickly.
Moreover, there is usually less people in a smaller building than a larger building, which should make an all-out operation easier and more effective.
One-Out, All-Out Fire Evacuations
Often referred to as a single stage evacuation or simultaneous evacuation, the idea of an all-out policy is that all occupants leaves the building at the earliest opportunity and heads to the designated assembly point.
For small businesses, schools and retail spaces, an all-out policy can be a simple strategy that’s easy to follow and easy to implement within a premises, when compared to other methods such as a stay-put policy. An effective, efficient all-out policy does depend on a basic level of fire training and a designated fire marshal within a property.
Is an all-out policy the best choice for my property?
There are fire scenarios and certain property types where an all-out policy may not be the safest option or occupants. If a fire can be compartmented to a small area of a building, without an imminent threat of fire and smoke spreading, it can be safety for occupants to stay-put and wait for firefighters to extinguish the blaze.
There can also be individuals unable to safety evacuate a burning building, such as young children or those with disabilities.
The decision whether to implement a fire all-out policy is a complex choice for designated fire safety experts and property owners, and it should be made on a case-by-case basis with advice from an approved contractor.
As per the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) order 2005, it is a legal requirement for employees to receive adequate workplace and evacuation training from an approved contractor.
Moreover, It’s important for small businesses that utilise an all-out fire policy to organise and specify their protocols via a fire safety document. Regulation 38 of Building Regulations specifies that businesses must create a file of safety information for the personal responsible for fire safety if a building is being constructed, modified or if there are significant material changes.
Tips for implementing an all-out policy
If your business is taking the decision to implement an all-out policy in the event of a fire, it’s important that there is a carefully considered strategy for all occupants and safe evacuation routes are established. Firstly, all occupants must be aware of the policy and understand what they need to do should a fire occur.
A business, retailer or school should regularly conduct fire drills to familiarise evacuation routes and how to evacuate a building safely. To ensure occupants are aware of a fire at the earliest opportunity, functional and maintained fire alarms and emergency lighting should be installed within all areas of a building.
It is the responsibility of the property’s fire marshal to ensure that all fire exits are clear and unobstructed. There can be severe consequences if occupants are unable to safely exit a building once an all-out evacuation has taken place. The business should also have a designated safe meeting place outside the building where occupants can be gathered and accounted for.
