Report on 2020 evacuation drills

More than 1,521 of you were involved in the evacuation drills carried out last week on campus. The Security Department would like to thank all those who took part!

These drills are vital to ensure that staff respond appropriately and do not panic in the event of a real incident. The aim is to make sure that all occupants of the buildings concerned can be evacuated quickly and in an orderly manner.

The Security Department would also like to draw your attention to areas where there is room for improvement:

 

• Fire wardens

Their role: They guide people to the most appropriate emergency exits (avoiding affected or smoke-filled areas) and accompany them to the meeting point. They must have a good knowledge of the relevant buildings and they need to be given fire warden training.

Designated fire wardens wear an armband so that the emergency services can identify which staff can confirm whether or not an entire floor has been evacuated.

The armband must be visible and should not be taken off until all staff have returned to their offices.

 

   
                                         Right way to wear an armband                                           

Wrong way to wear an armband

 

• Fire doors

Wedging fire doors open is prohibited. If these doors are not closed and a fire breaks out, the flames and smoke will not be contained and will quickly spread to the entire building.

More generally, it is also prohibited to wedge open any doors with access control.

 

                                   Fire door not wedged open: acceptable                                      

                                                          

Fire door wedged open:unacceptable      

 

• Locations of meeting points

We would remind you that the meeting point for your building is indicated on the evacuation plan displayed in each corridor.

Meeting points serve several purposes. They ensure that everyone is safe and well away from any immediate danger. They also make it easier to count and identify all those who were in the building when the incident occurred and to give instructions on the next steps to take.

Please find below a reminder of the meeting points on campus:

 

The Security Department is relying on each and every one of you to play your part in complying with campus safety regulations.