Reminders about the evacuation procedure

Some 1,200 of you have taken part in the evacuation drills carried out at the Institut Pasteur this year, and the Logistics and Security Department would like to thank you for your cooperation.

Should an incident occur, it is vital to make sure that all occupants of the buildings concerned can be evacuated quickly and in an orderly manner. That is why drills are so important – they familiarize us with evacuation procedures to prevent us from panicking if a real incident does happen.

Drills are also an opportunity to:

• Raise awareness among Institut Pasteur staff of evacuation procedures

• Give staff a chance to hear and recognize the alarm

• Apply emergency procedures

• Check that alarm systems are working properly

Annual action plans are then issued to deal with any problems identified.

During this year's emergency drills, the organizers spoke about the manually operated red and green alarms that are installed on campus. We would remind you that the red box raises the alarm with the Security Operations Center. The green box can be used to unlock an emergency exit in the event of an emergency.

New

An e-learning module entitled "Fire prevention" is available in the TalentSoft training catalog. This module looks at how fires begin and spread and explains how to react appropriately and effectively to stop them in time. It complements the evacuation drills and fire extinguisher training.

The module is aimed at all Institut Pasteur staff – feel free to sign up!

NB: All those registered for the fire extinguisher training are encouraged to complete this e-learning module before attending the course.

 

The Logistics and Security Department would also like to take this opportunity to point out some bad practices that have been observed and noted in drill reports:

• Blocking emergency exits

Exits and keep clear zones must be kept permanently clear so that they can be used at any time. A blocked emergency exit increases the time it takes to evacuate a building and represents a serious risk for the building's occupants.

• The use of door wedges for fire doors and access-controlled 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.

• Non-accessibility of safety devices (extinguishers, fire hose cabinets, etc.)

All these devices must be kept easily accessible.

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