Personnel Records

An important part of Fire Safety is the records of who is actually in the building at any given time and also making sure that people have safely evacuated the building. Often, when you arrive at work in the morning, you are required to sign in. Nowadays this may be in the form of a digital register or a more traditional physical one, but it is very important that you follow your company’s procedure, however, many staff members work there. When you leave, whether that be simply to go on a break, or at the end of the day, you should always sign out, as this means there is an exact record of who is in the building at any given time. Exactly the same applies to visitors, who must also sign in and out and they may also be required to wear a badge which clearly states that they are a visitor.

If you have a register of people in a building, you can ensure that everyone has been evacuated safely. At the assembly point, it’s the job of the Fire Warden or Marshall to check that everyone is accounted for, so as a Fire Warden or Marshal, you must remember to take the register with you in the event of an evacuation. If someone forgets to sign out and they have in fact left the building, the register will say that they are still inside, which means that the Fire Service would have to go in and look for them if they cannot be found. This puts anyone who is required to re-enter a burning building at very high risk.

Once you have congregated at the fire assembly point, you must not leave until you are told it is safe to do so by the fire service. Remain at the meeting area, do not leave for any reason. Finally, remember that signing in and out is crucial in keeping not only yourself but everyone around you safe in the event of a fire. Always follow any instructions given to you by a Fire Marshal, Fire Warden, or the Fire Services.