Why You Need A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEPs)

Thursday September 12, 2024

Evacuation plans are about more than just the layout and building plan of an office. As an employer, it’s essential to consider your workforce when it comes to safely evacuating a building in order to ensure each and every employee is able to get out in the case of an emergency, regardless of abilities or impairments.

Knowing what to do in a fire emergency is crucial to ensuring the safety of your staff and proper compliance with laws and regulations. This is where PEEPs come in.

What Is A PEEP In Fire Safety?

PEEPs are frameworks for plans of action in cases of fire emergency and are used to map out how a person will be safely evacuated from a building. They are specifically for those who might need some extra assistance, such as an individual with impaired mobility who may experience difficulty in responding to a fire.

What Is The Purpose Of A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan?

PEEPs are a vital part of any proper fire safety strategy. They ensure that each and every person can evacuate a building safely, regardless of any impairments they might have.

What Is A GEEP?

It’s useful to note the difference here between PEEPs and GEEPs, a Generic Emergency Evacuation Plan. This is a plan that showcases the layout of a building, highlighting all the evacuation routes and procedures that might be used in the case of a fire emergency, such as specific safety equipment.

Legal Requirements & Compliance for PEEPs

Not only are PEEPs a crucial component of any fire safety strategy for businesses wanting to keep their employees safe, but they are also a necessity for staying on the right side of the law.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires employers to assess all fire risks and ensure that each and every person (employee or otherwise and including those in need of special assistance) can be safely evacuated. Of course, this includes creating tailored PEEPs.

How Can Businesses Ensure Legal Compliance With PEEPs?

If you want to make sure you’re staying in line with the law, here are some ways to remain legally compliant with your PEEPs:

  • Conduct regular risk assessments that take into account the changing needs and requirements of all employees.
  • Keep detailed records of all risk assessments and corresponding PEEPs so that you have documentation to refer back to in cases of risk or emergency.
  • Regularly review and update your PEEPs to keep up with changes in building layout or occupancy within the organisation.

Designing Inclusive Evacuation Plans

The first step to creating a PEEP is to identify anyone in the workforce who might require one. It’s helpful to consider the two main types of PEEP here:

  • Permanent PEEPs: These are required for any person who has an ongoing impairment, such as a mobility, sight, hearing, cognitive issue, or mental health condition that might affect their ability to safely evacuate a building during a fire emergency.
  • Temporary PEEPs: In contrast, a temporary PEEP is designed for individuals who are experiencing a short-term impairment. This could be anything from a broken leg, to a temporary medical condition, to those in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Once you’ve established which kind of PEEP it is that your employee needs, you can then start to build your plan upon these foundations.

Process for Creating a PEEP

When it comes to creating your PEEP, it’s best to do so collaboratively with the employee in question, so that you’re both entirely aware of what needs to happen in the case of a fire emergency. If there’s anyone else involved in their specific PEEP, such as a person who will be there to assist them in evacuating to safety, include them in the creative process as well.

The peep should consider:

  • Escape routes.
  • Evacuation procedures.
  • Safe spaces.
  • Fire exit signs and other safety signals.
  • Special equipment.
  • Additional training.

Once your PEEP is finished, make sure to keep a record of everything you’ve planned out, with regular reviews and updates. Regular drills and tests should be carried out in order to determine whether the PEEP is effective and identify any areas for improvement. This should be an ongoing practice in order to keep up with any changes the building, organisation, or employee experiences. All class one medical devices, such as wheelchairs, should also be regularly inspected and assessed.

Your PEEP should also help to inform you of how to make your evacuation procedures visible, with notices for those who need assistance.

Does Everyone With a Disability Need a PEEP?

In terms of PEEP health and safety, knowing whether an employee actually requires a PEEP will simply require sitting down and talking to them about it. Not everyone experiencing an impairment will require a PEEP – it’s only needed if the person might experience difficulty in safely evacuating a building due to their disability.

How We Can Help

At The H&S Dept, we offer tailor-made support with creating robust PEEPs that ensure the complete safety and protection of your team. PEEPs, although a crucial component of any organisation, can become quite a complex process, and carry a huge risk when not done correctly. With the help of our professional team of health and safety experts, you can rest easy in the knowledge that your staff will be kept safe in cases of emergency, regardless of their individual impairments, while making sure your business stays on the right side of the law.

Our bespoke PEEPs are always compliant with fire safety regulations, giving you the peace of mind you need that your team will always be fully equipped to safely handle evacuations in cases of emergencies. Reach out today to find out more about how we can help you.

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