Workplace Emergency

Planning & Preparedness

Medford Fire Prevention Bureau

Based on the 2007 Oregon Fire Code
Occupancy Classification Groups
– A-Assembly
– B-Business
– E-Educational
– F-Factory, Industrial
– H-Hazardous
– I-Institutional
– M-Mercantile
– R-Residential
– SR-Special Residential
– S-Storage
– U-Miscellaneous

Source: (OFC 202)

 Emergency Planning
 Includes Fire Evacuation and Fire Safety Plans
When Required:
– Group A, except worship areas <2000 occupants
– Group B, 500 or more occupants; 100 above or below
lowest level of exit discharge
– Group E
– Group H
– Group I
– Group R-2 college and university buildings;
Group R-4; Group R subject to licensure by state
– Group SR
– High Rise
– Group M, 500 or more occupants; 100 above or below
lowest level of exit discharge
– Covered Malls >50,000 sq. ft.
– Underground buildings
– Group A, E, or M buildings with atriums Source: (OFC 404)
 Emergency Planning
 Why Have an Emergency Plan?
– To prevent fatalities and injuries
– To reduce damage to buildings and contents
– To accelerate the resumption of normal operations
– Because the fire code requires it
 Consider:
– There are approximately 75,000 fires annually that cost
businesses over $2 billion
– These fires kill more than 200 and injure more than 5,000
people each year
– 45% of businesses never reopen after a fire due to the high
cost of recovery and repairs
Sources: OSHA, Oregon Fire Code, NFPA, OSHA, and Numerous Business Emergency Plans.
 Fire Evacuation Plans
 To Prepare for and Define the Roles for Evacuation
and Relocation of Occupants During an Emergency
Includes:
– Emergency egress or escape routes
– Procedures for employees:
» Who remains to operate critical equip. before evacuating
» To account for employees and occupants
– ID those:
» Responsible for rescue or medical aid
» Who can be contacted for further information
– ID preferred and alternative means of notifying occupants of a fire or
emergency
– Preferred and any alternative means of notifying fire department or
appropriate emergency organization
Source: (OFC 404.3.1)
 Fire Evacuation Plans
 Staff Duties and Responsibilities
– Emergency coordinator
– Chain of command
– Alternative communication center
– Address who will assist disabled workers
– A system for accounting for personnel and non-personnel
following an evacuation
– Identify who is trained and willing to deal with casualties

Sources: Oregon Fire Code, NFPA, OSHA, and Numerous Business Emergency Plans.
 Fire Safety Plans
 How to React to an Emergency; Building Site
Layout and Hazards
– How to React to an Emergency
» Procedure to report an emergency
» Activating an emergency plan
» Procedure for alerting staff
» Ordering an evacuation
– ID personnel responsible for systems and equip. installed to
prevent or control fires
– ID personnel responsible for maintenance, housekeeping, and
controlling fuel hazard sources
– List of major fire hazards
Sources: Oregon Fire Code, NFPA, OSHA, and Numerous Business Emergency Plans.
 Fire Safety Plans
Also Includes:
– Site Plans
– Floor Plans Clearly Posted Throughout Building
Showing:
» Evacuation routes and alternate means of escape for each
room or portion of the occupancy
» Accessible egress routes
» Designated “Safe Areas”
» Fire alarm pull stations
» Fire alarm control panels
» Fire extinguishers and manual fire extinguishing equipment
» Area separation walls
» First aid areas Source: (OFC 404.3.2)
Fire Safety and Evacuation Plans
 Fire Safety Plans
 Emergency Plan Guidelines and Procedures
– Fire
– Earthquakes
– Explosion
– Bomb threats
– Chemical spills
– Workplace violence
– Utility Failure
– Medical emergency
– Triage

Sources: Oregon Fire Code, NFPA, OSHA, and Numerous Business Emergency Plans.
Fire Evacuation and Safety Plans
 Records
– Emergency contact numbers:
– Emergency dispatch
– Hospitals
– Utility companies
– Government agencies
– Alarm company
– Sprinkler company
– Any other responsible parties
– Documentation of drills should include the date and time of
each drill, the person conducting the drill and other
information relative to the drill.
– Updated list of employee emergency contact information
Sources: Oregon Fire Code, NFPA, OSHA, and Numerous Business Emergency Plans.
Fire Evacuation and Safety Plans

 Maintenance
– Shall be reviewed or updated annually or as
necessitated by changes in:
» Staff assignments
» Occupancy
» Physical arrangement of building
 Availability
– Shall be available in the workplace for reference and
review by employees
– Shall be available to fire code official for review upon
request

Source: (OFC 404)

 Emergency Evacuation Drills
 Purpose of Fire Drills
– To be ready should an occurrence happen, increasing the
chanced of survival. A disorganized evacuation can lead to
confusion, injury, death and property damage.

 When Required
– Group A: quarterly for employees only
– Group B: annually
» 500 or more occupants; 100 above or below lowest level of exit discharge
– Group E: monthly complete evacuation.
– Group I: quarterly each shift for staff only.
– Group R1: quarterly each shift for staff only.
– Group R-2 (college and university): quarterly all occupants
– Group R-4 & SR: see IFC 408.1.2.
– High Rise: annually employees only Source: (OFC 405)
 Staff Training
 Emergency Egress and Relocation Drills
– Shall be held with sufficient frequency to familiarize
occupants with the drill procedure and to establish conduct of
the drill as a matter of routine.
– Planning and conduct of drills shall be assigned only to
competent persons.
– To be held at expected and unexpected times and under
varying conditions.
– Shall be Initiated by the fire alarm system when present
– Drill participants shall relocate to a predetermined location
and remain at such until a recall or dismissal signal is given.
– Orderly evacuation should receive priority over the speed of
evacuation.
– Occupants should be accounted for.
– A record shall be kept.
Sources: Oregon Fire Code, NFPA, OSHA, and Numerous Business Emergency Plans.
 Staff Training

 In case of fire, think “RACE”:

– Rescue all persons in immediate area
– Alarm: announce the fire- Pull alarm and dial 911
– Confine the fire by closing doors
– Evacuate/Extinguish

Sources: Oregon Fire Code, NFPA, OSHA, and Numerous Business Emergency Plans.
 Staff Training
 Fire Extinguisher Training
– Decision
– Only use if the fire is small and contained,
and not spreading beyond its starting point
– Do not waste time in trying to fight the fire if the fire might block your
only way out
– Proper extinguisher use, think “PASS”:
– Pull trigger pin (Stand back several feet away from fire)
– Aim low, point the nozzle at the base of the fire
– Squeeze trigger
– Sweep from side to side until the fire appears to be out
 Medical Training
– First aid, CPR, etc.
 Safety Equipment
– First aid kits, hardhats, goggles, eye washing facilities, breathing
apparatus, etc.
 Fire Prevention-Monthly Inspections
Sources: Oregon Fire Code, NFPA, OSHA, and Numerous Business Emergency Plans.
 Staff Training
 Fire Protection Systems (Alarms and Sprinklers)
– Train employees how your particular system works
– Employees should be familiar with fire alarm signals
– Smoke alarms detect smoke, sprinklers are set off by heat
– Smoke alarms systems are early warning devices, allowing
precious time to evacuate
– Fire sprinkler systems are designed to control the fire
– Normally one or two sprinklers will
discharge, not the whole system

Sources: Oregon Fire Code, NFPA, OSHA, and Numerous Business Emergency Plans.
 Video
 Getting Out Alive

Source: Complete Fire Prevention Library, The Idea Bank

Fire Prevention
Access/Premises
Egress Hazards

Buildings or structures that are

not provided with adequate
means of egress or emergency
escapes are unsafe and shall be
subject to the abatement
procedures specified in Section
110. (OFC 1001.3)
Egress Hazards-Locked Exits
Emergency Lighting/Illumination
Existing Buildings, Where Required:
 A>50 (Except Churches <300)
 B three or more stories and 100 or more
occupants above or below level of exit
discharge
 B 1,000 or more occupants
 E exitways and windowless areas of occupancy
 F>100 (Except buildings used only in daylight
with windows)
 I
 M (Except buildings <3000 sq. ft on one story
only)
 R-1 (Except where each guestroom has direct
outdoor grade level access)
 R-2 (Except where each guestroom has direct
outdoor grade level access)
 R-4 (Except where each guestroom has direct
outdoor grade level access)
(OFC 1027.5)
Exit Signs
Electrical Hazards
Fire Alarm Systems
Fire Extinguishers
Fire/Smoke Separations
Fire Suppression Systems
Commercial Kitchen Hoods
3 What’ wrong with this picture?
Heat Sources
Housekeeping/Decorations
Mechanical Hazards
Smoke Detection
Storage-Combustible
Storage-Compressed Gas Cylinders
Storage-Flammable Liquids
Storage-Hazardous