Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences Department of Microbiology and Immunology

Evacuation and Emergency

Evacuation and Emergency Procedure

Anyone Finding a Fire Will:

  1. Raise the alarm and summon aid by calling "Fire" loudly
  2. If a minor fire, attempt to extinguish it yourself (if you feel comfortable doing so) with a carbon dioxide extinguisher or powder extinguisher and notify the departmental manager emergency controller Mr Gavin Fry on Ext: 40391.
  3. If a significant fire, activate the nearest fire alarm and notify the departmental manager emergency controller Mr Gavin Fry on Ext: 40391.
  4. Notify personnel in the immediate vicinity.
  5. Turn off bunsen burners, shut laboratory doors and windows and evacuate the building following the emergency exit signs.
  6. THE SOUNDING FIRE ALARM SIGNIFIES A RED ALERT. ALL STAFF WHO ARE NOT PART OF THE EVACUATION TEAM MUST EVACUATE.
  7. Evacuate via the stair wells (West and East) or through the Loading Bay. The doors to the stairs are fire doors and must NEVER be left open. DO NOT USE THE LIFTS.
  8. Please make your way down the stairs and out of the building in a calm and quiet manner. Do not rush and keep all doors shut.
  9. If it is not possible to get to the stairs, then get onto the outside balconies from the laboratories. Attract attention to yourself and wait for the Fire Department to remove you by ladder.
  10. For Media Preparation Unit staff: If you are impeded in getting out of the laboratory door, break a window and get out taking care not to get cut on the glass.
  11. Assemble for roll call with other members of your group in the RUBBO COURT (around the statue). Do not leave until your name has been checked off the list. Do not return to the building until the fire Department gives the all clear.

A summary of the evacuation procedure is available

Emergency and Evacuation Drill Procedure

BEFORE THE EVACUATION DRILL

  1. Supervisors to go through evacuation procedures with their staff. It is a good idea to do this in the laboratory / work area.
  2. Stair Wardens and Floor Wardens check their safety hats and torches, and all exits and corridors.
  3. Wardens on each floor talk to each other and familiarize themselves with their stations and procedures. Look at possible communication failures in the event of an evacuation.
  4. The list of Floor / Stair Wardens can be found in the Departmental Orientation and Safety Manual, on the Department Web Page or on notice boards in Corridors and Lifts.

Evacuation Procedure

  1. Turn off gas and computers.
  2. Close windows.
  3. Leave room closing doors. DO NOT GO TO LOCKERS. DO NOT GET PERSONAL BELONGINGS.
  4. Evacuate building, using stairwell. DO NOT USE LIFTS.
  5. Assemble in the Rubbo Court (Where statue is).
  6. Assemble for roll call with other members of your group. Do not leave the area without your name being checked off the list.
  7. Do not return to the building until the Department Building Emergency Controller gives the all clear to return.

Evacuation Team Responsibilities

Building Emergency Controller (BEC)

When contracted by the Floor Warden dealing with the emergency, the Building Emergency Controller will:

  1. Contact the University’s Emergency Controller on Ext: 49273
  2. Contact Property and Campus Services on Ext: 46000 and Security on Ext:46666
  3. Inform the Deputy Building Emergency Controller (Gavin Fry, extension 40391).
  4. If the emergency is a fire, the fire alarm should have been automatically tripped by the smoke / fire detectors and the Fire Brigade activated.
  5. Wait at the front door for the Fire Brigade wearing a white fire helmet.
  6. Take any messages from Floor and Stair Wardens regarding areas where building occupants may be trapped.

Evacuation Checklist for BEC

 

Deputy Building Emergency Controller

When contacted by the Building Emergency Controller or by the Floor Warden dealing with the Emergency, the Deputy Building Emergency Controller will:

  1. Contact by phone (if possible) the Floor Wardens for the two floors above and one below the emergency floor and order evacuation if considered necessary. If phoning is not possible runners should be sent.
  2. If the Fire Alarm has gone off, the lifts will automatically stop.
  3. Liaise with and co-ordinate the activities of all the stair and floor wardens until the arrival of the Fire Brigade and stand by to offer assistance as required.
  4. The Deputy Building Emergency Controller will wear a white fire helmet.
  5. Take up a position at the roll call point (Rubbo Court).
  6. Note: When partial or total evacuation is to commence, priority is given to the affected floor, then the next floor above and so on upwards, and then the floor immediately below the affected floor and so on downwards.
  7. Note: The Deputy B.E.C. should have allocated at least four members of staff to act as runners and to assist in the evacuation. The Deputy B.E.C. should record all information on a running sheet so that an immediate appraisal of the situation can be made by the Senior Fire Brigade Officer on their arrival.

Floor Warden (Emergency Responsibilities)

In the event of an emergency isolated to one floor where the Floor Warden considers evacuation is warranted, proceed from 1. Where advice has been received from the Floor Warden for an emergency in an area affecting your floor or from the Deputy Building Emergency Controller, proceed from 3 or 4 as applicable. If a general evacuation is signaled (i.e. the fire alarm has sounded), proceed from 5.

The Floor Warden should wear a yellow helmet and have a torch available.

  1. By telephone contact the Building Emergency Controller.
  2. Should telephone communication be no longer possible, dispatch runners to notify the Building Emergency Controller.
  3. Dispatch runner to notify other Floor Wardens of affected floor.
  4. Advise Stair Wardens.
  5. Take up a position on floor commanding as much view of the floor as safely possible.
  6. Ensuring disabled and elderly personnel are assisted; lead staff in an orderly manner towards appropriate stairway and report to Stair Warden.
  7. Direct personnel down stairway to building exit.
  8. When the personnel in affected area have been evacuated the Floor Wardens accompanied by the Stair Wardens will check all offices, laboratories and toilets etc. and ensure that all personnel have left the floor; closing all doors (especially fire doors i.e. stair doors) as they proceed.
  9. Descend the stairs and notify the Deputy Building Emergency Controller of result of their floor check.
    It is the Stair Wardens responsibility to ensure that movement on the stairway is orderly.

Floor Warden (Non-emergency Responsibilities)

The Floor Warden should report to the Building Emergency Controller:

  1. Any obstruction in building egress paths.
  2. Local changes in the use of the building, hazardous goods or equipment.
  3. Changes to members of the emergency evacuation team.
  4. Fire isolating doors which are prevented from closing unaided.
  5. Faulty or missing fire extinguishers.

Stair Wardens (Emergency Responsibilities)


When the order to evacuate has been given by the Floor Warden, the Stair Warden will:

  1. Don a yellow helmet, and with a torch proceed to the nominated stairways for their floor.
  2. Control the movement of personnel into the stairway having regard to the order in which floors are to be evacuated, instructing the evacuees to proceed in an orderly manner, in pairs and arm in arm for safety purposes. Note: Particular attention to be given to disabled and elderly persons by way of physical assistance if necessary from selected members of staff. Individuals who may injure themselves in attempting to evacuate the building should be asked to remain on a stairwell landing (safe-zone) and a runner sent to inform the BEC of the situation.
  3. When evacuation is complete, they will then notify Floor Warden of the next floor to be evacuated to proceed.
  4. Remain at the stairway door until Floor Warden arrives. Together they will check all offices, laboratories and toilets etc to ensure that all personnel have left the floor; closing all doors (especially fire doors i.e. stair doors) as they proceed.
  5. The Stair Wardens on the floors at the top and the bottom of the evacuated area will remain in the stairwell immediately above and below the area respectively, to prevent other personnel from entering the evacuated area, provided it is safe for the Stair Wardens to do so. The Stair Wardens will remain on duty until directed by the Deputy Building Emergency Controller, the Fire Officer or the Police Officer, to vacate the area. In the event of a general evacuation (signalled by the fire alarm), the stair wardens will evacuate the building once the floor has been checked with the floor wardens.
  6. All other Stair Wardens will continue to the ground floor exits.

Location of Fire Fighting / Emergency Equipment

It is the responsibility of every staff member and student to familiarize themselves as to where the nearest Fire Fighting, Chemical Spill, Emergency and First Aid Equipment is located and their contents.

 

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