EMERGENCY EXIT ROUTES
This talk discusses the steps that employees should
take so that they can quickly and safely evacuate
the building in the event of an emergency.
Materials to have on hand:
A floor plan indicating where the emergency exits are located
A list of the evacuation wardens
Items for attendees to consider during talk:
How would you escape from the building in an emergency?
Do you know where the exit routes are located at our facility?
Do you know who the evacuation wardens are?
TALK
If there’s an emergency that requires the
evacuation of the building, it’s important to know
the location of the emergency exits and also be
able to exit the building easily and safely. So, let’s
review the steps that all of us can take to ensure
that we all successfully exit the building, should we
need to.
Exit route
Exit location. The floor plan indicates the location
of the emergency exits. Find the one that’s closest
to your workstation, but also note the location of
others should the one closest to you be
inaccessible due to fire or smoke. Copies of this
floor plan that show the exits and the designated
outside assembly points are posted throughout the
facility, so be sure to become familiar with it.
Exit access. We can all help make sure that the
routes to the exit doors are free of:
Obstructions such as materials or equipment, and
Any highly flammable furnishings. If you see anything that would project into the exit route and make quick access a problem, let your supervisor know.
Exit doors
Let’s talk about the exit doors. First of all, they
should be unlocked at all times. If you have any
indication that they are locked, such as if you see
that a padlock is attached, advise your supervisor.
Exit doors at the top and bottom of stairs have to
be kept closed, and all exit doors must be free of
decorations or signs that prevent you from
recognizing them as exit route doors.
Evacuation wardens
So that you can identify who the building’s fire/
evacuation wardens are, we’ll review their names
now. Follow their instructions in the event of an
emergency.
[Read off the list of wardens, and describe where
in the building they are usually located.]
Exiting the building
When you leave the facility, be sure to move away
from the exit doors of the building, and don’t
congregate close to the building so that you aren’t
in the way of emergency operations. Once outside
the building, quickly go to the designated outside
assembly point and wait for instructions from the
evacuation wardens.