Evacuation Schemes

Also known as an evacuation plan, many New Zealand businesses have outdated evacuation schemes – if they have one documented at all. Inadequate evacuation procedures not only put the business out of compliance, they put the team at risk too. There are currently estimated to be at least 1000 non-compliant businesses in Southland. Is yours one of them?

What is an evacuation scheme?

An evacuation scheme is the full set of measures put in place for safe and timely evacuation of a building in case of an emergency such as a fire. This includes an evacuation plan as well as proper training, safety equipment, and documentation.

There are two different classifications for evacuation schemes for businesses depending on how many workers there are and/or hazards at the worksite.

Does my business need an approved evacuation scheme?

Most businesses need an approved evacuation scheme. Any business that falls under one these categories is required to have the scheme approved:

• Buildings where 10 or more people work
• Any building in the industries of medical, early childhood, or disabled care services
• Prisons
• Buildings where 6 or more people sleep
• Any building where 100 or more people can gather
• When certain levels of hazardous materials are stored in the building

Note that these requirements apply to buildings and not individual businesses. For example, if two businesses each with 6 workers occupy the same building, an approved evacuation scheme is still required. It is the building owner’s responsibility to have the correct procedures put in place.

If your building does not fall under any of these categories the evacuation plan does not need to be registered but you should still have one in place.

How do I get an approved evacuation scheme?

The evacuation scheme must be sent to FENZ for approval and they will make a decision within 20 working days. As all of our instructors and courses have been approved by FENZ; we will handle all of these steps on your behalf.

What does the evacuation scheme include?

A full evacuation scheme will provide at least the following:

• A documented plan with escape routes using the specific layout of your building. These plans should be posted at specific points of the building.
• Run trial evacuations with people in the building.
• Maintaining and updating the evacuation scheme including reapproval as needed.
• Fire extinguisher and Fire blanket training if the property has these items. We will also check the condition of these items such as the expiry of the extinguisher.

How to maintain your new evacuation scheme

A trial evacuation or further training should happen every six months to keep the evacuation scheme current. Outside of this period, updates should be made when there are updates to the contact details (such as a new building owner), if specific building events occur (as outlined in your plan), or the primary contact will be out of New Zealand for at least 21 days.

Whether you need help maintaining an existing evacuation scheme or need a new one put in place for your building, we can help. Our professionals ensure that you’ll have the required knowledge, documentation, and hands-on experience to handle an emergency if one should occur. Get in touch with us or book a time now to get started.